


Shipping Down to Dallas

by Adm_Hawthorne



Category: GCB, Rizzoli & Isles
Genre: F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-29
Updated: 2013-03-29
Packaged: 2017-12-06 21:01:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 43
Words: 54,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/740118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adm_Hawthorne/pseuds/Adm_Hawthorne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Crossover fic with GCB. What happens when Maura "persuades" Jane to go with her to Dallas for one of her charity functions? Rizzles is in here, but this is a total crack fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing from any of these shows, and the only thing I get from this is the perverse pleasure of pitting Cricket against Jane and Maura.

"No, Maura," Jane stood in the middle of the medical examiner's office, arms crossed and jaw set. "I  _am not_  doing this."

"Jane," the Chief Medical Examiner's voice was calm but less patient than normal, "I've already booked the plane tickets." She held up two pieces of paper in her hand. "Besides, you promised me you'd go with me to the next function at which I was required to attend for charity when you 'misplaced' your PUKE running suit.  _This_ is the next charity function."

"But, come on! It's in Texas. Who wants to go to Texas, especially during the summer? It's going to be, like, a thousand degrees down there. Can't I," the detective made a vague gesture with her hand, "I don't know, just give you money or something?"

"No, Jane," Maura shook her head, eyes narrowing. "Angela has already agreed to take care of Bass and Jo while we're away. The paperwork is in order; all you need do is go down to Cavanaugh's office and sign it."

"You've already talked to Cavanaugh?" Jane rolled her eyes and gave a little stamp of her foot. "Really?"

"He didn't seem to have an issue with you taking a week off. In fact," the honey brunette smirked, "he gave indications of relief."

Jane rolled her eyes. "Oh, funny. So, I guess I'm not getting out of this, am I?"

"No. Pack for a week. Take both casual clothes and clothes you would consider 'dressy'. For the more formal affairs, I'll provide you with appropriate clothing. As this was a last minute circumstance, I'm afraid we don't have much time." Maura was already gathering her things. "You need to hurry. The car service will be by to pick you up in a few hours."

"Man!" The detective huffed but turned to the door to go, but she suddenly stopped and turned back around. "Hey, where are we going in Texas anyway?"

Maura paused in her gathering. "Hillside Park. It is a small city within Dallas, and you may be familiar with it as simply Dallas because of that."

"Great, cowboy hats, oil wells, and long-horns on the front of Cadillac grills as far as the eye can see." Jane sighed heavily. "I can't wait."

"We're not in a television show, Jane. I highly doubt there's anyone named JR Ewing to be found. Now, stop delaying. We don't want to be late for our plane." Maura ushered the detective out.

Jane grunted in frustration. "Yeah, yeah..."


	2. Chapter 2

Luggage stacked on the carrier and rental car keys in hand, Jane and Maura stepped out of the cooled interior of the DFW airport and into the hot Texas summer.

"Oh my God, Maura, it's like a 1,000 degrees out here!" Jane took in a deep breath of air only to choke on it. "How," she said between gasping breathes, "can anyone," gasp, "live in this," more gasping, "heat?"

"It's only 102 outside, not 1,000 degrees, Jane, and we won't be in the heat for long. Our car is ready for us. Let's get everything into the trunk so we can check into our hotel," the doctor slowly took in a breath as she dabbed at her forehead with a handkerchief. "I feel the need for a shower, don't you?"

"No," the dark haired brunette muttered as she started packing the car. "I want to take a dunk in a bathtub filled with ice and stay there until it's time to go home. God," she said as she grunted her way through moving the many pieces of luggage from point A to point B, "this is ridiculous. Why couldn't this thing be some place further north? Like Alaska?"

"Oh, Alaska is very lovely this time of the year, but," Maura tilted her head in thought, "they simply don't have the capacity in any of their cities to hold the various functions and…"

"Never mind." The detective rolled her eyes and slammed the trunk shut. "Can we just go?"

"Of course," Maura stepped to the passenger's side. "I'll punch the coordinates into the GPS system while you put the carrier away."

Clearly annoyed, the detective headed to return the carrier. "Thanks, turn the A/C on while you're in there… on  _high._ "

* * *

"Swanky," Jane's eyes darted around the hotel lobby as a bellboy waited patiently to follow the ladies to their rooms.

"Thank you so much for choosing the W Hotel for your stay this week. Should you need anything," a petite, well dressed redhead spoke clearly and with little accent that the detective could find, "our concierge service is available to you 24 hours a day. The Ghost Bar is open Wednesday through Saturday, 9PM until 2AM. There are no cover charges for women." At this fact, Jane gave a little snort. Maura gave her a hard look. The young lady behind the counter continued on as if nothing had happened. "Your Wow Suite is located on the 15th floor." She handed Maura the keycards. "Is there anything else I may help you with?"

"No," Maura smiled brightly, "That will do for now. Thank you so much for your help."

"Of course, ma'am." The redhead nodded. Maura dared Jane to say anything with a look that could have withered a less hardheaded person than the detective. "You ladies please enjoy your stay."

Maura led the way to the elevators, heels clicking sharply as they went along with the bellboy behind them. Jane quickly followed the smaller woman, leaning over to ask in a hushed voice, "Wow suite?"

"That is what they've named this particular layout of suite. This hotel has 10 different room layouts, each with its own name," the doctor hit the button to call the elevator.

Jane rolled her eyes. "Really, and do I want to know how much a 'Wow Suite' set you back?"

"It's impolite for guests to ask the hostess how much anything is when being treated to an occasion," Maura shot back before stepping onto the elevator with Jane at her heels.

The detective gave a sharp salute, much to the amusement of the bellboy who had thus far remained fairly neutral regarding the conversation he was privy to. "Yes,  _ma'am_. Understood. I'll just shut up now."

"Jane, please, can't you at least appreciate the fact that we're not at work at the moment and enjoy this as the vacation that it is for you?" The doctor gave a sigh. "We so rarely take vacation time."

"Hey, you suckered me into this, remember? I just," at her friend's pained look, Jane changed her tone. "Okay, fine, I'll try to enjoy myself."

Again smiling, Maura gave a nod as the doors opened onto their floor. "Thank you."

"Man," Jane glanced over to the bellboy, "I can't believe I get sucked into this crap for her. Can you believe this?"

The bellboy and detective kept pace with each other as Maura followed the numbers on their way to their room's door. "Well, honestly, ma'am, if I were in your shoes, I imagine I'd probably do whatever she wanted, too. She's about the prettiest women I've seen come in here in a long time, and, let me tell you, we get  _a lot_  of pretty ladies in here." He shrugged. "There's no shame in being whipped if the person holding the handle is as good looking as your girlfriend is."

"My… wait a minute." Jane shook her head, "You have it all wrong. She's not… I mean we're not… we're best friends, but we're not dating; we're not lesbians."

"That so?" The young man gave a little grin. "You ask her how many beds are in that suite?"

"It's a suite, so I just figured there'd be two." She shrugged.

"You know, we have a saying down here." Again, he grinned as they waited for Maura to open the door. "Figuring will get you in a lot of trouble. You figure you just got to pass gas, and then you find out too late you had to take a shi…"

" _Thank you_ ," Maura interrupted as they came to a stop in the middle of the living room. "That will be all." She handed the man a tip.

"Thank you ma'am," he pocketed it and headed to the door again. "You ladies enjoy your stay in Dallas." He gave a small tip of his hat and exited the room.

"We've only talked to two people since we landed, and I already think these people are nuts," Jane ran a hand over her face.

Maura shook her head. "Don't be silly. Now, help me unpack."

"Sure," Jane opened her eyes to see floor-to-ceiling windows illumining a living room/dining room space that held a table that could easily seat six for dinner and a living room with what looked like a 42 inch plasma TV on the wall. Her jaw dropped, and she slowly walked toward the windows to look out over Downtown Dallas. "Wow," she breathed out as her eyes tried to take the sight in. "I was expecting… I don't know what I was expecting, but this wasn't it. That's a real city out there."

"Of course it is, Jane," Maura came to her side, trying to follow her friend's line of sight. "Dallas is very metropolitan."

The detective turned to look around her space. "Is that a… a  _half bath_?"

"Yes, for guests," the doctor gave a hint of shrug. "Follow me with the luggage, please."

"Sure," Jane followed directions and again stopped short as they entered the bedroom. A large, king-sized bed decked out in fluffy white greeted her. "Maura, why is there only one bed?"

"It was such short noticed that I had to take what was available. I didn't think it would bother you as we've shared a bed before that was much smaller than this." Grabbing a suitcase from the pile of luggage, she handed it to a bewildered Jane. "Why don't you shower first while I unpack?"

Numbly nodding, Jane took the suitcase and headed to the master bathroom only to, once again, be stunned. She was met with a room that felt larger than her apartment. A huge tub, big enough to hold about three people, sat in one corner and the other corner held the most deluxe shower she was sure she'd ever seen. "Hey, Maura?" She yelled out.

"Yes?" Came the muffled answer.

She grunted. "What's up with the shower?"

Maura stuck her head in to check. "Oh, that's a rainforest shower. They're really wonderful, very relaxing. Jane, go take a shower! We have a dinner appointment with Mrs. Stopper in a few hours, and we need to be presentable."

With a sigh, Jane sat her bag down on the double sink counter top. "Privacy, please."

Maura blushed. "Oh! I'm sorry; I'll just go finish unpacking."


	3. Chapter 3

"Tony! Romo! What did I tell you?  _Get in this house_!" A piercing voice called out to the two Doberman Pinchers currently on either side of the rental car as Jane hummed the "Dueling Banjos" tune.

"That's enough," Maura said with a sigh as she patiently waited for the dogs to be taken inside and put somewhere out of the way. "Mrs. Stopper is a perfectly normal individual. I don't appreciate you insinuating that we're in the middle of the movie  _Deliverance_. There is nothing questionable going on here."

"Did you just get a pop culture!" The detective reached over to pretend to feel her friend's head. "You feeling okay?"

"Stop it, I'm fine. You've made that reference before." Maura pushed Jane's hand away but smiled. "I believe the dogs are kenneled now. Let's get inside before the heat becomes oppressive again."

"Too late for that," Jane huffed as they opened the doors and the heat rolled across them in a blistering welcome.

* * *

"Maura?" The redhead's voice didn't lose any of its volume as the women were ushered into the house. "It's good to finally meet you!" She reached over to hug the disoriented doctor, who was clearly uncomfortable with what was happening. "You must be her friend, Jane?" She moved to the detective and gave the same friendly greeting. "Come on, and let's sit down away from this heat. It's hotter than Hell outside today, isn't it?" She led the way with the two younger women following in a daze.

"Yeah, it's pretty hot," Jane agreed just to fill the air.

"Guess you girls aren't used to this kind of weather, are you?" Their hostess motioned for them to take a seat where they'd like in the large and lavishly furnished living room. They glanced to each other and then carefully took a seat on the sofa. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"A glass of water would be lovely, thank you," Maura's eyes flicked around the room.

Jane noticed and made a mental note to ask the doctor later what she was taking inventory on. "Yeah, that'd be great," she nodded.

The redhead smiled. "Sure thing. Get comfortable, and I'll be right back!"

"Thank you, Mrs. Stopper," the doctor politely offered a smile.

"Please!" The piercing voice echoed from the kitchen, "Call me Gigi!"

"Oh my god," Jane mumbled under her breath, "What the hell have you gotten us into, Maura?"

"Perhaps someone will call us with an emergency for which they need us to return early?" The honey brunette offered as she again glanced about the room. "Everything here is so…"

"Expensive and huge," Jane finished the sentenced. "I feel under dressed." She tugged at her dress shirt, glancing down and frowning at the blue button down that was tucked into her grey slacks. "I'm kind of glad you made me wear this now. Jeans and a shirt  _would not_  have worked here."

"No, I suspect not," Maura agree and then plastered a smile on her face as Gigi returned with tall water glasses on a tray. "Thank you so much, Gigi."

"It's  _my_  pleasure," she sat down in a chair across from the sofa. "Now, let's talk about tomorrow. After we get back from church, we can have lunch with the other ladies that will be helping with the clothing drive. Maura, you've spoken with my daughter, Amanda, already, but I think it'll probably be better if all of us had lunch together before we started working with each other, don't you?"

"Yes, that would be advisable. What time and where would you like us to meet you tomorrow?" Maura pulled out her phone to input the information onto her calendar.

"Well, why don't you meet us here at 10 tomorrow morning, and we can all carpool over to the church, and then we can decide from there where to go for lunch?" Gigi's smile never faltered, though her eyes narrowed. "What do you think?"

"Hold on a minute," Jane held a hand up, "You want us to go to church with you?" She blinked a few times in disbelief. "I haven't been to church since… let's just say it's been a while. Look, I don't mind helping with your stuff, but I'm not really interested in going to church."

"Well," Maura's voice held a small warning, "since my family's foundation is working in conjunction with their church, perhaps it would be best if we went? It would be good to meet the community with which we'll be working."

"Really?" Dark angry brown eyes flipped from the redhead to the honey brunette next to her. "Maura, you didn't say  _anything_  about having to go to church. Come on! You can't really expect me to…"

"Jane." The doctor's voice was quiet but held little doubt of what she expected the woman next to her to do.

Crossing her arms, Jane leaned back against the sofa. "Fine. Just… poke me in the ribs if I start snoring."

"Well, I'm glad we have that all sorted out," Gigi's voice was tight. "Let me just tell you a little about the plans we've already made for all events this week…"


	4. Chapter 4

"That was painful," Jane plopped down on the plush sofa and gazed out over a darkened cityscape. "Can we call in sick tomorrow or something? Maybe we could just tell them we had to go back to work?" She leaned back, letting the back of the sofa pop her back. "Speaking of, how come you're not correcting them about your name?"

Maura took a seat next to the detective, careful not to wrinkle her dress. "What do you mean?"

Jane glanced over, eyes narrowing. "They don't call you doctor. Do they not know or what?"

"No, they don't know. This situation was set up by my mother, who neglected to inform Gigi of many things, my title being one of them." Maura winced, "I've not bothered to correct her on it, however, and my signature line for the foundation only includes my title for the foundation."

"Why not correct them? You earned that title!  _I'll_  correct them." Dark brown eyes held righteous anger. "They need to show you the respect you deserve, Maura."

"No, please don't, Jane. I simply want to take care of my obligations so we may go home. I'm going to take a shower and get ready for bed. Will you order room service for us?" The doctor stood, handing Jane a menu from the side table. "I don't care what we eat."

"Wow, you must really hate this. I never get to just pick anything." Taking the menu, Jane ran over it quickly. "Hey, Maura," she called to the honey brunette nearly out of the room. Maura paused but didn't turn around, "Don't let her get to you, okay?"

"Don't order coffee, you'll keep us up all night," Maura responded before leaving Jane to order.

* * *

"Tomorrow is going to  _suck_ ," Jane groaned as she slid into the bed next to Maura. "That woman, Gigi, is nuts. I bet she carries a pistol in her purse."

"You may not be wrong," Maura couldn't help but giggle at the thought. "Texas allows for concealed handguns."

"Great, nuts  _and_  armed. I think I felt safer tracking down murderers." Rolling onto her side to face her friend, Jane gave a wicked grin. "At least I'm getting a steak sometime this week."

Green eyes gave a roll. "Yes, I suppose there _is_  a bright side, after all." Maura sighed. "I wish mother had better prepared me to work directly with this woman. We've been emailing each other for several months, but I had no idea she was so… loud. Of course, mother so rarely tells me anything that I really ought not to be too surprised." A sad smile on her face, she made a move to roll over but was caught by a hand on her arm.

"Hey, I meant it when I said don't let her get to you. If she doesn't want to get to know you, that's  _her_  problem, not yours. You're an awesome person, and anyone who doesn't want to take time to get to know you is stupid, if you ask me." Jane's eyes swept over Maura's features. In a snap moment of decision, she pulled the smaller woman to her, rolling so the doctor could comfortable curl around the detective's side. "Your mother's missing out."

A sniffle escaped before Maura could respond. Instead of saying anything, she clung to Jane's nightshirt for a moment as she tried to compose. "Thank you."

"None needed. Let's get some sleep. I'm willing to bet tomorrow is going to be murderer."


	5. Chapter 5

"Maura, what a pretty dress! Is that the newest from Dior?" Gigi ushered them inside again.

"Yes, it is. I've been looking for the right occasion to wear it, and this seemed right," the doctor ran her hand across the front her white dress with its pale, light blue pattern as she glanced to Jane. "We're sorry we're running a bit late. I'm afraid navigating the city is a bit challenging."

Still leading them further into the house, Gigi smiled brightly, "It's alright. We've still got plenty of time. My daughter and her kids are in the kitchen. Let's go in there." She motioned for them to follow. "I see you're wearing Armani, Jane."

"Yeah," she glanced down at her dark suite with her crisp, white button down. She was clearly at a loss as to what to say but was annoyed by the negative tone of the comment. "I thought it would work."

"It's a nice suite. Armani's always a handsome choice," Gigi answered, not missing a beat, "I mean, I've seen some lovely dresses in their collection. Do you have one? A dress, in their collection I mean?" The older woman smiled politely.

"No," Jane placed a hand on her hip, pushing her jacket back to reveal nothing, which only slightly threw her off her game, "Can't say that I do own a dress. From Armani."

"I see," Gigi's answer was clipped, and her next comment was cut off by the voice of an amused younger woman.

"Momma, are these the ladies you told me about from Boston?" A statuesque blonde strolled into the kitchen wearing a dress and heels that Jane was sure she'd seen Maura look at just the other day.

"Yes," Gigi raised an eyebrow. "Where are my manners? Maura, Jane, this is my daughter Amanda Vaughn and my grandchildren, Laura and Will. Everyone, this is Maura Isles and Jane Rizzoli."

"It's nice to finally place a face with a name," Maura offered her hand to Amanda, who took it with a polite air.

"Yes, it is," Amanda glanced to the detective and offered her hand to the lanky woman. "Hello Jane."

"Hey," Jane shook hands and then glanced at the clock on the wall. "We should probably get going."

"You're right! We can't be late." Gigi picked up her keys and purse in a flourish of movement. "We'll never hear the end of it. It's bad enough one of us is wearing…"

"Guests, Momma," Amanda snapped under her breath on the way to the car.

Hearing the exchange, Jane rolled her eyes. "Okay, the next person who says anything about me wearing pants is getting an earful. I don't care where we are or who we're dealing with. It's 2012. Women can wear pants, and I wear mine just fine."

"Yes," Maura nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth, "You do." With that parting remark, the doctor left a stunned detective standing in an empty kitchen.

* * *

 

"Oh… good," Amanda's voice was strained, and the look on her face said she was anything but pleased, "I see everyone's here."

Jane followed Amanda's gaze to the group of women huddled just inside the church doors. "Those your friends?"

Looking to Gigi and noting the raised eyebrow, Amanda answered quietly, "We went to high school together."

"Gotchya," Jane nodded. "I just had my high school reunion last year. If it makes you feel any better, I still don't get along with my high school people, either. In fact, the reunion was murder."

Maura frowned at the bad pun, but let it go as she thought on the rest of the comment. "What about Joey Grant? You two went to school together."

"Grant? Please, he's a pig." The detective snorted. Amanda chuckled.

"I really don't think calling Joey a pig is either appropriate or accurate. As you know, a pig is not…"

"I know, I know… don't googlemouth me to death. Look, I don't like the guy, okay? I didn't like him in school, I didn't like him when he was the boss, and I never wanted to date him. He's oily. Can we," Jane looked to the watching eyes and listening ears of their companions, "Not talk about this right now?"

"Of course, I'm sorry, Jane." Maura turned to Gigi. "Perhaps an introduction?"

"Just what I was thinking. Come on, no time like right now," the redhead made a beeline for the group of women clustered together.


	6. Chapter 6

Gigi stepped into the circle, smiling as she interrupted. "Everyone, I have some people for you to meet." Once the women had settled, she turned to the doctor and detective. "This is Maura Isles and her  _friend_ , Jane Rizzoli. They're the ones helping with the charity functions this week. Maura, Jane, this is Carlene Cockburn. She'll be in charge of the music for next Saturday."

"Pleased to meet you, Maura. Welcome to our House of the Lord. It's just so wonderful that you and your…  _friend_  have decided to join us today." She threw an uncertain look to Gigi, who shrugged. "I'm sure there's so much you can learn while you're here." Carlene's eyes ran over to the women, clearly stopping at Jane's pants. Before the tall brunette could utter a word about the implications of her last statement, Carlene added, "You're both from Boston?"

"Yes, we are," Maura nodded as she shook hands, hoping Jane would let the slight go.

"Oh, well, attending church in Boston must be a little different than here in Texas." Carlene's eyes remained on Jane.

"I'm not even going to ask you what you mean by that," Jane growled as she shook hands with the tiny blonde.

"And this," Gigi stepped in before things could degrade, "is Cricket Caruth-Reilly. She's been in charge of organizing the clothing drive and will be in charge of overseeing it."

"Hello," Cricket offered her hand to each woman, eyes narrowing as she glanced back between them. "So nice to meet you both." She glanced around them as if searching for something. "Did you travel alone?"

"Well, we traveled together, so I guess that's really not alone." Jane's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"I normally travel with my husband, Blake," Cricket motioned to the tall, handsome man across the room that waved a hello and went back to his conversation. "But, of course, he and I also run several businesses together. Did you leave your husbands at home?"

Jane grunted. "Really?"

"We're not married," Maura offered, hoping to keep her best friend from going off before the service. It was clear Cricket was implying more than she meant by her question.

"I see," Cricket raised an eyebrow and gave a knowing look to Carlene. "Well, maybe you'll get lucky while you're here?"

The detective took in a deep breath, "Maybe I'll get lucky and…"

"And  _this_ ," Gigi's voice cut in again, "is Sharon Peacham. She'll be in charge of catering for our events this week."

"Hello, nice to meet you." Sharon gave a sheepish smile. The other two women exchanged a quick greeting.

Giving a small sigh of thanks at the quick exchange, Gigi moved on. "And finally, this is Heather Cruz, she's been in charge of getting all the locations we needed for everything."

"Hi," Heather's hand shot out toward the doctor. "It's nice to meet you. How are you two liking Texas so far?" She shook Jane's hand with just as much enthusiasm as she did Maura's.

"It has its own charm," Maura diplomatically answered.

"It's a great place! If you two ever think about moving down here, you should give me a ring," Heather smiled brightly. "I'm a real estate agent."

"Yeah, don't think that's going to happen, but thanks," Jane said, rolling her eyes.

Unperturbed, Heather pressed on. "Well, you never know, a lot of people retire to Texas. If you ever change your mind?"

"We'll call you," Jane answered with a heavy sigh. "Is it time to go into the chapel?"

"Yes," Amanda answered, "I think it might be time to step out of this."

"Exactly," the detective answered as she led the way into the main chapel of the church.

* * *

"You know," Amanda whispered quietly as she leaned a bit closer to Jane, who was seated to her left, "I'm impressed you didn't take Cricket out."

Jane chuckled, ignoring the nudge to her left arm from Maura's right arm. "Me, too, but Maura insisted I stay out of jail while we were here."

"Too bad," the blonde smirked, shaking her head. "Word of advice, Jane? Keep your eyes open. You and your friend really have no idea what you've walked into here."

"Oh, I have an idea," the detective said, eyes running around to take in the crowd of well dressed, highly polished people in the room. "I'm thinking you guys don't know what you're in for dealing with  _us_."

Turning to look directly at the woman to her left, Amanda narrowed her eyes for a moment in consideration. "Maybe," she conceded as her gaze ran to Maura and she noticed the doctor's hand resting just slightly on Jane's leg. "As long as I can remember, the going theme around here is that nothing's what it appears to be."

Jane nodded. "Yeah, I'm getting that. What's the minister's name?"

"That is Pastor John Tudor," Amanda turned back to watch the clergyman take the pulpit.

"Well, at least he's easy on the eyes," Jane shrugged and then settled as the man began to speak.

"Good morning and welcome, everyone. I'm so glad you all could be here, and I'm happy to see a few new faces in the crowd," he glanced to Jane and Maura. "Today's sermon is entitled  _'Love Thy Enemy as Thy Friend_ …"


	7. Chapter 7

"So what do you all feel like eating?" Cricket looked from Jane to Maura, smirking as she spoke.

Quick to cut off any unnecessary confrontations, Maura swiftly asked, "What do you suggest? I don't come to Dallas very often, and Jane has never been here. We would appreciate a local person's take on the cuisine."

"Well, if you like BBQ, Sonny Bryan's isn't too far. It's just off of Inwood," Sharon offered with a smile, glad to be helpful. "Or, if you want to try some Tex-Mex, Chuy's is really good. It's on McKinney Avenue. Oh! Jake's Burgers is on McKinney, too. They've got the best burgers in Dallas. For Italian, Maggiano's is great, but they're a little far out; they're in Plano, and I don't know if we really want to drive that far out. But, if we don't mind the drive, we could also go to Babe's in Frisco. They have the best fried chicken around. Of course, nothing is as good as homemade," she finished with a definitive nod of her head.

"Okay," Jane said with a glance of disbelief to Maura, "What about some place where everyone can get what they want?"

Heather shrugged. "Bread Winners? They're just off McKinney, and, if we hurry, we can get there before the crowd."

"Sound great." Jane wrapped her hand around Maura's elbow, escorting her to Gigi's car. "Let's go."

The other women stood, watching the two walk away.

Cricket frowned. "Awfully handsy with each other, aren't they?"

"Yes, very friendly with each other. The Lord has things to say about being  _that_ kind of friendly with your neighbor," Carlene said, eyes narrowing as she watch Jane and Maura walk away.

"Mmmhmm," Cricket answered with snark, "Something about not lying down with the same…"

"How's Blake, Cricket?" Amanda asked, a gentle smile rolling across her features. "I hear he's found himself a new ranch hand."

"He's fine," the brunette snapped back, spine going straight. "Let's go before we all start smelling like a pack of mules. It's too hot out here to just stand around."

* * *

"What a charming place," Maura said as they all took a seat. "The outdoor patio theme set inside is very creative in this instance. If the food is as lovely, I must remember to bring Mother here the next time we're both in town."

"Yeah, it's a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be," Jane opened the menu and perused her lunch choices. "Hey, Maura, you want to split something?"

"Actually, yes," Maura set her menu down and scooted closer to Jane so they could look together. "What do you have in mind?"

* * *

As the two spoke about their lunch, Carlene leaned over to whisper to the rest of the group, "Gigi, was there something you weren't telling us about your guests?"

"Not on purpose," Gigi answered, frowning at the two hidden behind the menu. "Constance told me Maura would be more than capable of representing the foundation. She didn't say anything about her friend."

"I just don't think that we who are representing charity in the name of our Lord should be doing so with  _those_ kinds of people." Carlene glowered harder at the back of the menu. "We must show them the error of their ways. It's the only good, Christian thing to do."

"Don't you all think you're out of line here?" Amanda whispered, lowering her head as she spoke. "Who cares what might or might not be going on between them behind closed doors? We don't know anything about these women. All we know is they've taken time to come down here and help us. We don't even know what they do for a living."

"That's a good point," Heather said, trying to back her friend. Raising her voice, she said, "You two know what you want?"

"Yes, I believe so," Maura nodded as she set the menu down.

"Great, I think we're all set." Heather motioned for the waiter, who came over to take orders. Once everyone's was taken and the waiter left, she began again. "So, what do you two do, anyway?"

Jane looked to Maura, who gave a slight nod yes. "Well, I'm a Homicide Detective," she said, sitting straighter in her chair, "And Maura is the Chief Medical Examiner. She's a doctor."

"Chief Medical Examiner?" Carlene was clearly confused. "What do you do?"

"It means, Carlene," Cricket deadpanned, "That she cuts up dead people for a living."

Shock and horror ran over the petite blonde's face. "Oh, that's just… that's just…"

"Factual," Maura offered. "I examine the remains of the victims so that Jane and her team may find those that did harm to that victim. I speak for the dead. Someone must."

"That sounds like a very noble thing to do,  _Doctor_  Isles," Amanda commented as she glanced around the table. "Sounds like both of you have noble professions. I take it you work with  _Detective_ Rizzoli a lot?"

"Every day. I couldn't do what I do without Maura." Jane glanced to the woman on her left and smiled. "She's the best in her field. Boston PD is lucky to have her."

"And Jane as well," the doctor blushed, glancing down to the table before looking back at the other women. "She was the youngest person to ever become a homicide detective in Boston, the first female detective, and she apprehended the notorious serial killer Charles Hoyt, also known as The Surgeon, twice."

"Twice?" Cricket's eyebrow rose. "You let him escape?"

"No,  _I_ didn't let him escape," Jane shot back, her hands visibly clenching and unclenching atop the table where they rested. "The  _FBI_  let him escape."

"Well, I certainly hope it doesn't happen again!" Sharon said around a mouthful of bread. "He sounds dangerous if he could escape the FBI."

"It won't happen again," Jane assured her, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms in front of her.

"How can you be sure? If the FBI let him escape once, it could happen again." Cricket's eyes widened just a smidge as if to say, 'Don't you think?'

"Well, he's got to be on death row, right?" Gigi asked, voice cracking through the room. "That's one of the things I like about Massachusetts. They're not afraid to fry people who deserve it."

Amanda scoffed. "Oh my Lord, Mother."

"Amanda, please don't use the Lord's name in vain," Carlene reminded in a sing-song manner.

"It won't happen again because he's dead," Jane said as she took in a deep breath.

"See? The system works. Serial killers get what's coming to them." Gigi nodded. "That's how it should be. An eye for an eye, right Carlene."

The petite blonde nodded. "Well, the Bible  _does_ say that, and it can't be wrong if the Big Man Upstairs says it's so. The Justice System is only carrying out the work of our Lord."

"Yeah, the Justice System," Jane rolled her eyes. "I'm going to little girls' room. Excuse me." Without another word, the detective left the table.

Maura watched her walk away, unsure of what to do. "You'll have to excuse Jane," she offered to the expectant looks she was receiving before she, too, stood. "Charles Hoyt is a sensitive topic of conversation for her. I'm sorry I brought it up." She pushed her chair in.

"Why? If she caught him and he's dead, what's the issue?" Gigi looked confused.

"The issue, Gigi, is that that Jane," the doctor stopped, unsure if she should tell these gossiping women any more about them but decided that Jane also deserved a fair amount of respect. "Charles Hoyt was not executed. He trapped us, and, defending us both, she killed Hoyt using a scalpel and with nothing more than her bound hands." She ran her fingers across the light scar on her neck. "Please excuse me. I need to check on Jane."

The table was quiet for a long moment. It was Amanda who spoke up first, a small smile on her lips. "My," she said as she picked up a piece of bread. "This bread here is really good, isn't it?"


	8. Chapter 8

The small bathroom had a cramped feel even before Maura stepped inside to find Jane standing at the sink. Her head was bowed and face was wet and slow level breathing, it was clear she was trying to calm down.

"Jane," Maura stepped closer, placing a hand on her friend's back, "I'm so sorry I brought any of that up."

"It's okay," the detective took in another deep breath of air. "It's those women. They're just," she shook her head back and forth slowly. "Maura, they're toxic. They've done nothing but give out backhanded compliments and make offensive insinuations since they laid eyes on us.  _Why_  are we doing this? They don't need us here, and we shouldn't have to put up with that crap. Let's just go home, or," she turned to face the smaller woman, "we could stay here and make it a real vacation. Forget them. We could be out doing something we would actually enjoy."

The doctor tilted her head in concern. "It's unlike you to want to run."

"I'm not running. I'm just… looking for a peaceful resolution. Isn't that what you're always telling me to do?" Jane raised her voice a little to mimic Maura's. "Jane, stop playing such dangerous sports. Jane, stop being so confrontational. Jane, must you be so sarcastic?"

Maura rolled her eyes. "Funny," she deadpanned. "That's not how I sound nor what I say, and you know it. Well," she grudgingly agree, "Except about the sarcasm. I  _do_ ask you that." She shrugged. "Talk to me, Jane. Why do you want to run?"

"Honestly?" At the doctor's look, Jane gave a sigh and answered. "I feel like I'm in high school all over again. I was never a popular kid, and the popular girls made my life a living Hell every chance they got. Even when I tried to avoid them, they'd find a way to make it so I looked like a bigger idiot than I already felt. I  _hated_  that feeling, and these women make me feel fifteen all over again. I don't know how to handle them. If we were at home, I'd flash my badge, and they'd have quit that backhanded crap yesterday. But we're not at home, and I feel pretty powerless. I don't want to do or say something that will embarrass you, and you've been cutting me off to keep me from doing that anyway, which just makes me feel worse."

"Yes, I'm sorry about that. It's rude, and I really ought not to do that, but I'm trying to avoid confrontation." Maura frowned, glancing around them for a moment as she gathered her thoughts. "I don't want to be here anymore than you. This is an obligation I have to support my family charity, and I cannot tell you how much I value the fact that you are here with me. Your presence gives me strength, so, perhaps I can give you a bit of my strength in return to handle these women?"

Jane's face reflected the confusion in her voice. "What do you mean?"

"I understand being a social pariah. I've been one most of my life. Rarely have I fit in anywhere, but you've never made me feel out of place." The honey brunette gave her friend a warm smile. "I always feel comfortable around you. I trust you, and it's that comfort and trust that is helping me through this time. However, it had not occurred to me that you would not be so comfortable in this situation with just my presence by your side. I will," she stopped talking to really consider a course of action. "I have your back and, going forward, there will be no doubt that I do."

"This is stupid," the detective rolled her eyes. "I can take down raging crack heads and serial killers, but I can't deal with a bunch gossiping socialites. I feel like such a loser."

"You're not a loser, Jane. You're just out of your element. But I am not. This time around, maybe you should follow my lead?" Maura raised an eyebrow as she shot the other woman a mischievous grin. "Giving a backhanded compliment well is an art form. Trust me."

Jane nodded, "Okay, so what do we do now?"

"Now, we wash our hands, straightened our clothes, and go back out there with a strongly united front with me in the lead." The doctor stepped closer to reach for the sink.

In an instant, Jane's arms were around her, squeezing her. "Thank you, Maura. I'm sorry I suck at this."

Maura returned the hug, holding onto Jane for longer than was really appropriate. "None needed. Let's pull ourselves together and get back out there."

* * *

Maura walked gracefully around the table of women, Jane at her side. The tall brunette pulled out the shorter woman's chair and helped her sit before sitting down herself and taking a sip of water.

"Our apologies for that little interruption," Maura started with ease as she glanced about the table. "I'm afraid there was delay at the facilities, but everything is fine now. Amanda," she turned with ease to the woman who was clearly in their corner, "will your children be involved with the various functions this week?"

"No," the blonde shook her head as she narrowed her eyes. She was clearly trying to gauge where this was going. "They've both got things going on for school this week. With our recent move, they've had to play catch-up this summer, and I want them to focus on their studie."

"I understand," Maura nodded sagely. "Education is paramount to success in life. I always try to stay on top of the newest information in my field. I'm a firm believer in continual education."

"How much knowledge do you have to have to cut open a dead body?" Cricket raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that a little cut and dry?"

"Wet, actually," Maura said with grace. "People who attend their first autopsy are often very surprised to see exactly how many various fluids the human body holds." Jane smirked behind her glass of water as she watched some of the women turn a little pale. The doctor continued speaking as if she didn't notice the level of agitation growing at the table with each passing sentence. "Most people assume that, once the blood is drained, the body is empty of fluids, but that is highly inaccurate. Most organs hold fluid, though the body does vacate other waste material upon death. It's really a fascinating process the human body goes through upon time of death. If you'd like, Cricket, I would be more than happy to direct you to some articles regarding the subject."

"No," Cricket gulped air, "I think I'll pass."

"Are you certain?" Maura tilted her head, smiling gently. "They have pictures for you to follow. It's very reminiscent of those instructions one finds in children's' toys for the purposes of assembly, except, of course, they are disassembling a human body. You should be able to easily follow along without having too difficult a time understanding it."

Jane bit her lip to keep from laughing, but she noticed the sparkle in Amanda's eyes. They shared a moment of amused understanding at what was happening at the lunch table.

Trying to control her reaction, Cricket sat up a bit straighter in her chair. "Thank you, Maura, but, like I said, I think I'll pass. After all, it's not my area of expertise to stay around dead people all day long."

"Could we talk about something else?" Carlene cut in with an odd amount of enthusiasm. "I really thought Pastor Tudor's sermon was great today, didn't you?" She looked to Sharon, who had stopped munching on the bread at the table and was starting to turn a little green.

"Oh, yeah, he was really… great?" Sharon frowned, obviously trying to remember what had happened at church. "That one thing he said about everything was really… insightful."

"Exactly!" Carlene jumped on it. "He was right to remind us how important it is to love our enemies. It's really so essential to remember that the Good Lord wants us to love everyone and bring them onto the right path, which is the reason why I think it's important to testify to those who we think might have strayed from the light and the love our Lord. Don't you agree, Gigi?"

"I agree this place should serve booze during lunch," the redhead grumbled under her breath before answering aloud, "Well, the Bible says something about that somewhere, I'm sure."

The petite blonde's grin widened a bit as she swung her gaze back to Maura and Jane, "It does, which is why I encourage anyone who feels they may be following a path set in front of them by the Devil to have the courage to see it and turn back toward the Light, and I think it's just as important to show those who lack that courage the error of their ways. Don't you two agree?"

"Only if they are Christian or open to Christian Dogma," Maura answered without missing a beat. "I personally feel it is important to respect the personal liberties of the individual or individuals in questions prior to taking steps to voice concerns one may have regarding said person's behavior outside of what society outlines as acceptable via laws, rules, and regulations enforced by their society's governing body. Not all religions prescribe to the idea of testifying, and, in fact, not all branches of Christianity do, either. I also feel that such an exchange should be equal opportunity, which means that, should a person approach another and point out the 'error of their ways', the person being approached ought to have the same chance in return."

Maura held a hand up to keep Carlene from speaking as she pressed on. "For example, if one were to approach me to say they thought my sexual orientation or penchant to read books on witchcraft were a sin and I would, therefore, go to Hell if I didn't correct those behaviors, I would be within my rights to point out that it is equally sinful in the eyes of the Christian Lord to judge lest that person be judged in return. I would be apt to point out that vanity and gluttony are also considered sins, and one should, perhaps, take an introspective look at one's self prior to trying to fix the issues of those around them. Don't you agree, Jane?"

"Oh yeah, totally," the detective said, unable to keep the smirk off her face. "I guess that falls under that whole 'eye for an eye' thing, right?"

A smirk playing on her features, Maura nodded. "One could argue that point as well, yes."

"Is that our food?" Heather sat up, looking over the heads of the women across from her. "I think that's our food coming our way."

"Thank God," Gigi mumbled under breath.

"Lord's name," Carlene shot back.

"Holy Hell, this is going to be fun," Jane said as the server sat a plate of fajitas between her and the doctor. "Maura, you want the chicken or the beef?"

"I'm not really in the mood for chicken," the doctor answered as she glanced between Cricket and Carlene. "I'll start with the beef, please."


	9. Chapter 9

"Jane," Amanda quietly addressed the tall brunette as they took their places inside Gigi's SUV, "are you and Maura planning to go anywhere else while you're here?"

"I don't know," as she clicked her seatbelt into place, Jane turned to other woman in the backseat with her. "Where else are we going, Maura?"

"I hadn't actually thought you'd want to go elsewhere while we were here given all the other activities scheduled for this week," the doctor replied with some hesitation, clearly worried she'd made an assumption and a poor one at that.

"I told you when you dragged me down here that I was just along for the ride. I assumed we'd wind up at some high dollar, upscale department store or something before you let us go back home," Jane turned back to the blonde in the front seat, "Why? Is there some place you think we should go?"

"Well, I have the night off tonight, and I was thinking you struck me as the kind of person who might like to go out and grab a cold beer. I know just the place, if you and the doctor are interested?" Amanda raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly, "I promise the beer's cold, the food's hot and fried, and I can get us a discount."

"Discounted cold beer and fried food? I'm in," Jane nodded even as she looked to Maura for permission. "Right?"

"Well, we do need to go to Downtown Dallas for a shopping excursion." Maura was mentally going over her checklist of things to do. "I hadn't realized we'd be going to a waterpark. You and I will need bathing suits for the occasion, and I feel…"

"Whoa, hold on a minute," Jane's face fell into a scowl as she glared at her friend. "What do you mean we're going to a waterpark?  _Why_  are we going to waterpark?"

"The kids came up with greatest idea!" Gigi butted in as she drove along Mockingbird Lane's narrow lanes, trying to avoid allowing her very large vehicle from going over the middle line. "That place in Arlington… what's it called? Wet 'n' Wild?"

"Wet and Wild? Sounds like a bad porn movie," Jane mumbled under her breath.

"Jane!" Maura shot back just as quietly.

Amanda laughed at the exchange. "No, Momma. Six Flags bought them out  _years_  ago. It's called Hurricane Harbor now."

"Oh, well, whatever it's called," Gigi's hand flew from the steering wheel to make a vague brushing away gesture. " _Anyway_ , the kids came up with the idea to get the waterpark to donate a quarter of their proceeds tomorrow to our charity cause. It's Monday, but it's also the summer, and it's hotter than nine kinds of Hell out there, so we're likely to get a big turnout." The redhead turned the steering wheel sharply to pull into her driveway, ignoring the squeals of fear from the other women in the car as a large Ford truck barreled passed them honking and barely missing the backend of the SUV. "We'll have to say a little something around lunchtime to the people, and Sharon's going to need some help getting lunch put out, but we'll have the rest of the day to be social at the park and enjoy a little sun."

The SUV came to a stop, and three very frazzled young women and one oblivious older woman stepped out into the afternoon Texas heat. Jane groaned as they made their way up to the house. "By 'social', what do you mean?"

"Oh, you know, talk to people. Let them know about the charity. See if we can get them to donate extra money to the cause." Gigi opened the backdoor to the welcome rush of the air conditioning. "That shouldn't be too hard for you or Maura, Jane. Really, it'll be a bunch of middle aged men and their families. Just make sure to buy a swimsuit that shows off your best assets and smile real pretty."

"No," the detective stood in the middle of the kitchen, arms crossed and face set. "Not happening. I am a respected member of law enforcement. I am a homicide detective with  _years_ of experience under my belt. I  _will not_  walk around in a skimpy bathing suit to be eye candy for a bunch of creepy middle aged men who have money."

Maura went on alert, sensing there was more at issue than what her friend was actually saying. "Jane, you don't have to…"

"Maura, I have lines," the detective shot back, not letting the smaller woman try to smooth things over. "I don't go out in public wearing things where people can gawk at my… can gawk at  _me_. Okay?"

"Well, why not?" Gigi's voice boomed. "Honey, if you got it, there's nothing shameful with flaunting it when the time is right, and, Jane, not  _only_  do you  _have it_ , but tomorrow's the time. Flaunt it!"

The detective's stubbornness suddenly turned to bitter anger and rage as she turned on the redhead. Her voice like ice, she replied with a growl, "You don't know anything about me." Turning to the other Texan in the room she took a moment before she said anything. "What time and where? I could use a cold beer."

"Uh," Amanda looked from the seething detective to the very concerned looking doctor. "How about six tonight? It's called Boobylicious down in Midtown. I'll text you directions?"

"You do that," Jane turned to her friend. "Take me back to the hotel and leave me there while you go shopping for tomorrow."

"I…" Maura sighed as her friend stormed out of the. "Gigi, Amanda, thank you for your hospitality today. We'll be in touch." With those parting words, she made a quick dash to catch up.

Mother and daughter were silent for beat. "What do you think that was all about?" Gigi finally asked.

Amanda shook her head in the negative. "I don't know, but whatever it was sure set Jane off."

"Like a pissed off bob cat," her mother finally moved to get a drink. "If you ask me, I think those two have some unresolved issues."

"No," the blonde frowned, "what do you mean?"

Gigi poured a glass of iced tea for herself and her daughter. After handing the glass over she took a sip from her own. "You remember that time when your daddy went off to Canada for about half a year and left us here?"

Confused at the turn in conversation, Amanda answered cautiously, "Yeah, something about his work, right?"

"He was setting up shop up there. You remember how testy I got there towards the end?" Gigi took another long sip, eyebrows rising as she waited.

"God yes!" Amanda rolled her eyes. "I thought you were going to set something on fire."

"Well, you're old enough now to hear me tell you I wasn't  _that_  testy just because it was hot outside. I was hot alright, but the only thing fixing  _that_  problem was your daddy, who was umpteen thousand miles away."

Her daughter choked on her tea. "Oh my lord, I did not need that mental picture."

Gigi smirked. "Which one? The one of me and your daddy or the one with Maura and Jane?"

"Both! God, Momma, stop."

Her mother rolled her eyes. "Well, how do you think you got here, Amanda? It wasn't immaculate conception, and you have two of your own. I mean, if you don't know how this works by now, something's wrong."

"Okay," the blonde held a hand up. "Let's move on. So you think they're  _not_  sleeping with each other."

"I'd be willing to bet this year's Diors hanging in my closet on it." Gigi finished off her tea and set the glass down with a small thud.

"Wow, strong bet." Amanda picked up the empty glass and took both to the dishwasher. "Well, if you're right, I hope they figure it out soon. I don't know if Carlene and Cricket are going to be able to survive it if Jane and Maura have decided to channel all that sexual tension they've got going on between them into a war against Carlene and Cricket. With that kind of built up tension, I don't think our 'friends' stand a chance."

"Are you kidding me?" Gigi chuckled, "I'm buying the popcorn!"


	10. Chapter 10

The car ride back to the hotel was silent as was the trip up to their room. Once inside, Jane made a beeline for the bedroom and managed to step inside the master bathroom before Maura could say or do anything.

With her undoubtedly upset friend shut away behind the soundly closed door of the master bathroom and unable to choose a next course of action until Jane decided to reemerge, Maura decided to change and lookup directions to a few of the clothing stores she wanted to visit. However, after changing into yoga pants and a shirt to wait out Jane's self-imposed exile, the doctor became irritated at the sound of running water.

Jane was taking a bath.

She had been serious about not coming with Maura to buy bathing suits for the following day, and the realization that Jane had been serious sent Maura into a small mental rage. The stores would close soon. She needed Jane to hurry so they could leave. After ten minutes, Maura had finally worked up enough irritation and bravery to knock on the bathroom door. "Jane?"

"I thought I told you to leave," came the angry, muffled voice of the detective.

"I'm not going anywhere until we talk about this," Maura shouted through the door.

Again, the angry voice replied, "Long wait."

"Jane, this is ridiculous. Whatever your issue is, I'm certain we can work it out. We're running out of time! The stores close early on Sundays here." Taking in a deep breath and hoping the bath was a bubble one, Maura grabbed hold of the doorknob and turned it, busting into the bathroom and Jane's private angry moment. "Oh good, it's a bubble bath," she said before she could stop herself.

"What the hell, Maura?" Jane's hands moved quickly to cover her already bubble covered body. "What do you think you're doing?"

"We don't have time for you to throw a fit. Now," Maura walked over to sit on the edge of the large tub, "You will either tell me what's wrong, or I'm sitting here until the bubbles dissipate."

The detective stared at the honey brunette. The disbelief on her face flashed with tinges of amusement and panic. "Seriously?"

"I highly doubt that I look like I'm joking," Maura replied. Raising an eyebrow but keeping the same serious expression, she reached into the end of the tub where Jane's feet likely were and cupped her hand. "Start talking or I'm going to start helping the bubbles along."

"Okay, first of all," there was a small amount of panic in Jane's voice, "this is coercion. Second of all," she glanced at the hand dipped into the water, "you're invading my private, personal space. And third of all," she moved under the water, causing a few of the bubbles to pop. She grunted and stopped moving, "This is really unlike you, Maura."

"I realize that, if we were at home, I'd allow you to take time to be upset, then allow you to venture back to where I was, we would discuss things for a bit that had nothing to do with the incident that caused you to be upset, you would eventually get around to telling me why you were hurt, and then we would move forward. However, in Boston I have many connections, and it's easy for me to make a phone call to acquire whatever it is we need in time to have it when we must."

Maura pulled her hand out of the water but remained seated on the tub's edge. "Here in Dallas we don't have that luxury. We're on a timetable, and it occurred to me this might be the fastest way to get you from upset and not talking to talkative, even if it meant you yelling at me. Once you start talking, you tend to eventually get around to why you're hurt or upset."

"So, basically," the detective let her head fall back against the tub as she rolled her eyes, "you're forcing me into the latter stages of my angry cycle because you know I have a hang-up about being seen naked in front of people?"

The doctor shrugged. "In a nutshell."

"Nice." They were quiet as Jane tried to decide which she wanted less – Maura seeing her nude or telling Maura why she was upset. Finally, she settled on the why she was upset. "I don't want people seeing my scars. Now, can you please get out of here so I can put clothes on?"

"Your scars? We can buy a suit that will cover those, if that's what you want." Maura stood and picked up a towel to dry her hand. "If that's all that's made you so upset, it's an easy fix."

"I also don't want to use my body as a way to sell something. I'm not a prostitute, Maura, and I don't care where the money goes, selling how I look for goods is as good as me walking the street for a pimp." Jane sighed. "Of course, if I was to follow that through, there have been worse pimps than Jesus Christ, I'm sure."

The doctor laughed, and it echoed through the room. "These are the things you should say in front of Carlene."

"She never sets me up, or maybe I'm just not that quick when I feel like a deer in head lights." Moving her hand from the bubbly water and making a motion to move on, Jane's face changed from upset to settled. "Look, I'll go. I'll wear a one piece, but I'm not flaunting anything. Good?"

"Yes, but," honey brunette locks bounced as Maura tilted her head in concern, "why would all of that upset you? Jane, you know I would never ask you nor expect you to do anything you were truly uncomfortable with."

"Well… I… Let me ask you something, Maura." At the doctor's nod to go on, Jane took in a deep breath of air. "Will you be flaunting it?"

"Not likely," came the very quick response. "Like you, I've no desire to sell my body off in the name of charity, even if the only aspect of my body I'm selling is how I look."

"So… no flirting with creepy middle aged married men?"

"No, Jane, I'm not planning nor really willing to flirt with anyone. Is that why you were so concerned? Were you upset because I might flirt with a large group of men tomorrow?" Again, the doctor's head tilted to the side.

"I'm starting to prune. If we're going to make it to that store on time, I should get out and dry off, and don't you need to change?" Jane nodded toward the door.

"Yes, I do." Maura stood and turned to the door but stopped before she left the room. "You know, I believe they have saying here," she said as she looked over her shoulder, "You dance with the one that brought you. The last time I checked, Jane, the one that brought me here was you, or, more accurately,  _I_  brought  _you_  here. I believe the reverse is true as well. You dance with the one you brought," she said with finality before stepping out of the room and closing the door behind her.

Jane sat in the tub for a moment more as the words sank in. Frustrated, confused, and bone wary from the mental game of chess she had been playing since their plane landed at DFW Airport, the detective found she didn't have the mental stamina to deny the meaning in other woman's words. "Damn," she muttered before getting out to dress.


	11. Chapter 11

"I must admit," Maura said as they stepped into the dark, cool bar, "when Amanda said the name of the establishment was Boobylicious, I had some misgivings."

Jane smiled as she looked around. "This is awesome. I see beer, hot wings, and fries. Finally, some place where I don't have to worry about being underdressed or saying something wrong."

"You don't have to worry about that anyway," the doctor said as she caught the eye of the hostess.

"Have y'all been helped?" The short and shapely brunette asked with a smile.

"Nope. We're supposed to be meeting our friend Amanda here." Jane's eyes scanned the crowd. "Is she here yet? She might be waiting on us."

"She's not working today, no," the waitress answered, clearly a little puzzled.

"Working today?" Maura was clearly baffled. "No, I think you misunderstand. She invited us to eat dinner with her here." The two friends looked at each other as if to ask if Amanda had mentioned working at the bar.

"Oh! Okay, well, you can take a seat anywhere, and I'm sure Amanda can find you once she gets here." The waitress turned and pointed in the direction of the booths. "If y'all want a little less noise, the booths are normally a good place to sit."

"Thanks," the detective smiled and placed her hand at the small of her friend's back to weave them through the full tables of men of all ages and to the booth. They settled on the same side to give Amanda a place to sit once she arrived, and Jane picked up the one page, laminated menu. "A booby basket? Really?"

"At least the theme is… consistent." Maura winced. "I would be more shocked at their uniforms, but the Merc's were just as revealing."

Jane raised an eyebrow as she watched a waitress pass by before turning to look at Maura. "More. The Merc's were more revealing. I definitely saw more of your cleavage than I do any of theirs."

"I don't know. I think it may be comparable." The honey brunette tilted her head in consideration as they both continued to watch the waitress. "I would say the uniforms reveal the same amount of leg and cleavage."

"Maybe it just felt like more cleavage coming from you because you had your chest in my face for most of the night?" Jane passively asked as she flipped the menu over to check out the beer selection.

"I did not!" Maura leaned away from her friend to look her in the eye. "Did I?'

Dropping the menu to the table, Jane chuckled. "Oh yeah, Maura, you did. I never knew you had that beauty mark on the inside of your left breast until that night."

The doctor's face flushed as a blush started to keep up her neck. "Oh, well, I… I certainly didn't mean to…"

Shrugging and picking the menu back up, Jane cut her off. "Did you hear me complaining? Anyway, I think that's Amanda, isn't it?"

Relief on her face, Maura smiled brightly at the blonde making her way over. "Yes, it is."

* * *

 

"You beat me here!" Amanda slid into the empty table. "You must have been close."

"We went shopping for bathing suits at Niemen's," Jane answered as she put the menu back down. "So you work here?"

"Yes, I do." Amanda waved at the woman Jane and Maura had spoken to upon entering the bar. The waitress headed to their table. "The tips are good, the money's honest, and, since my husband passed away, I need some way to support my family."

"Nothing wrong with that," the detective nodded in appreciation. "So, what kind of beer do you people drink down here?"

"The local favorite is Shiner Bock." Amanda's smile got a little wider as the waitress stepped up. "Hey Jen."

"Amanda! You just can't stay away from here, can you? What are you doing, girl?' Jen gave the blonde a little push to the shoulder.

"Hiding from the family with two people who need to do the same. You know how it is. Listen, can we get a Shiner, a sweet tea, and," she looked at Maura, "What do you drink?"

"A beer is fine, thank you," the honey brunette smiled at the blonde's surprised look.

"Um… I guess make that two beers and a sweet tea." Amanda shrugged.

"Okay, I'll be right back to get your order." Jen hurried off.

Turning back to the women across the way, Amanda decided to move on from the surprise without highlighting it. "So, bathing suits, huh? I thought you weren't going tomorrow, Jane?"

"Maura changed my mind." The detective shrugged. "Someone has to lug around the crap ton of stuff she's going to want to take to this thing."

"It's not that bad, Jane," Maura lightly chastised. "We decided," she answered Amanda's question, "that, so long as we weren't doing anything we'd rather not in order to obtain donations, time spent at the waterpark was acceptable."

"I see. Well, don't let my mother run your lives while you're here," Amanda said. "She's good at trying to do that. There's something about this place that makes everyone think the most important things in life are how you look, how much you're worth, and who you're married to. It's all smoke and mirrors."

"Boston High Society has similar social norms," Maura nodded in understanding. "One learns how to sidestep what one prefers not to be involved with or in."

"In other words, Maura doesn't really give a shit," Jane said as she took the beer from the waitress.

"To put it crudely," the doctor said. "However, I do attend to my duties as I ought, but I don't live in that part of Boston society. I prefer the friends I've made since becoming the Chief Medical Examiner for Boston PD to those acquaintances I've had to maintain for the sake of my social upbringing."

"Well, if Jane's any indication of your friends, I'd say they're probably good people." Amanda took a swig of her tea. "Anyway, do y'all know what you want?"

Jane winked at Amanda before asking the woman next to her, "What you do think, Maura? A couple of Boobies?"

"A couple of what?" The blush on the doctor's face that had faded returned in full force.

"That's what they call more than one Booby Basket. See?" Jane pointed at the menu.

As the waitress chuckled, Maura took a sip of her beer before she answered. "Yes, that will be fine, though those Boobies look a little large, Jane. You may have to take a part of mine as well." The doctor's eyebrow rose in challenge.

"I think I can handle whatever you give me, Maura. Don't I normally?" The Rizzoli smirk turned into a mischievous grin.

"On my Lord, come on you two!" Amanda rolled her eyes. "Make it three, Jen."

"Got it." The waitress took a note and turned to place the order.

Amanda sighed as she turned back to the women across the way. "Okay, can I ask you two something and it not be too offensive? After all of that, I just have to know."

Jane nodded. "Shoot."

"Are you… you know?" The blonde ducked her head, embarrassed to be asking the question. "Are you a couple?"

"No, Jane and I are not dating, nor are we involved in any intimate relations of any kind," Maura flatly answered.

"Yeah, no, Maura and I are best friends, but we're straight. We're not lesbians." Jane shrugged.

"Okay, I mean, if you say so, it's just that you two are pretty… well, I mean, you're very comfortable with each other, and it just kinds of comes off as you being, um… I don't want to be offensive here, it's just…"

"Amanda," Jane set her beer down and gave the struggling blonde a lifeline, "Maura and I have gone through a lot together. I mean a lot, like life threatening stuff where we almost died, and it's happened more than once. After you go through something like that with someone, you tend to get a little comfortable with each other. Make sense?"

"Sounds like there's a lot of stories there," the Texan remarked before considering what Jane had just said. "But that makes sense. Fair enough. I'll take you at your word, but, just for the record, if you were dating each other, I wouldn't care."

"So noted." Jane took another swig of her beer. "Can we move on now? Like, maybe you can tell us what the deal is with Cricket and her husband because something isn't right about that relationship."

Amanda chewed at her bottom lip for a moment before deciding to answer truthfully. "Well…"

 


	12. Chapter 12

"Do you think we'll have time to go to the other theme park before we leave?" Jane's head was turned away from Maura as the detective looked out the passenger's window at the rolling tracks that made up the various coasters and thrill rides of Six Flags over Texas. As the car rolled along Interstate 30, she tried to take in the odd juxtaposition of vibrant greenery surrounding towering, twisting masses of steel and wood. As Maura drove them toward the waterpark, Jane's eyes ran over it all with a wistful look on her face. "That place kind of looks like it would be fun."

"Perhaps," Maura replied with some consideration. "We have the waterpark today, tomorrow we're scheduled to assist with the clothing drive at the Southern Methodist University campus, Wednesday we're expected at a formal dinner and reception at Al Biernat's," Maura paused for second. "Al Beirnat's is one of the top rated steakhouses in Dallas, Jane, so you  _will_  get your Texas steak. However, we've been encouraged to shop for our evening attire during the day and purchase from a local store, which we will, of course, do. Between finding a dress for us both and making our stylists' appointments for the day, Wednesday will be completely spoken for."

Jane rolled her eyes. "Great," the sarcasm rolled out followed by a sigh of resignation. "Any chance I could wear a suit? I mean, I get we're doing something super formal, but I just think it'd piss off Carlene and Cricket if I wore pants to everything, and I really like the idea of pissing them off every chance I get." Rizzoli smirk beaming, she turned to look at the driver. "Please say yes. You know you want to."

Despite herself, the doctor gave a sly smile. "I'm sure we can arrange something." Checking traffic, she flicked her blinker on and took the exit marked for Hurricane Harbor before she resumed their schedule. "Thursday we've been invited to attend a golfing event at the Las Colinas Country Club. Apparently, Gigi has a membership there, and the other members have offered to make donations based on our scores. I've never been a fan of golfing, personally. My drive isn't very good, but it's all for charity. That, too, will be an all-day event." She took in a sharp breath as a Dodge Ram cut her off on their way into the parking lot of the theme park.

"Christ!" Jane gripped the door handled and tried not to throw out the string of curses that were running rampant through her head. "What is wrong with these people? They all drive like Armageddon is today at noon. Doesn't anyone around here know how to use a freaking blinker?"

"They are a bit aggressive," Maura took in a shaky breath as she rolled the window down to pay for parking.

"A bit?" The detective shook her head. "Right. Anyway, I don't know how to golf, so does this mean I'm your caddy for the day or something?"

"If you don't mind? If you do, then I'll hire a caddy, and you can just be part of the audience." Maura rolled the window up and began searching for parking. "Which would you prefer?"

"Sure, I'll carry your bag for you. I do it at the mall all the time. Why should this be any different?" Jane ducked the incoming hand aimed at her arm. "Hey! Abusive!"

"Just be thankful we're not here during the Bryon Nelson. At least we're able to participate and not simply stand on the sidelines and idly clap from time to time." Maura pulled into a parking space in a lot that was roughly three blocks from the entrance to the park and turned off the car.

"Anything with the name Bryon is something I don't want to be involved with anyway," the detective growled as they stepped out of the car and gathered their belongings for the day. "What about Friday?"

"He really wasn't a bad person, Jane. Bryon was very skilled at what he did despite his questionable bedside manner. You must admit that you're better for his work on you." Maura slid her sunglasses on and double checked to make certain her cover-up was still wrapped around her as it should be.

"Okay,  _yes_ , he made me better, but, if he was such a great guy, then why aren't you still dating him?" Jane hoisted the bag containing everything Maura said they'd need for the day onto her shoulder and tried not to fall over from the unexpected weight. "You never told me why you called it off."

"He insinuated your needs, as my best friend, weren't important, and he called me 'just a pathologist' when I mentioned to him that your heeling time seemed slow." Maura locked the car, picked up their towels, and motioned for Jane to follower her. "Basically, like many surgeons I've known, he was cocky. If I wanted to deal with cocky, I'd spend more time with you after you've had a few rounds of tequila."

"Oh, ha, that's  _so_ funny, Maura. Really," Jane deadpanned as she grunted and tried to keep up with the other woman. "Anyway, I'm glad you called it off. Slucky was an ass."

"Yes, he really was," the doctor sighed. "At least he was good for releasing a little tension during a high stress time."

The detective rolled her eyes. "A vibrator would have done just as good of a job, and the only thing you'd have to deal with is changing the batteries."

Maura gave a faux look of shock. "Jane!"

"What? It's true!" Again smirking, Jane nudged Maura with her shoulder. "Whatever. What about Friday? Can we go to the rollercoaster place on Friday?"

"We have a working dinner with Gigi's group to ensure all plans are ready for Saturday. That dinner will be at Sambuca late in the evening. I believe the reservations are at 7:30. So, yes, I think we should be able to go to the other theme park on Friday during the day for a little while."

"Yes!" The taller woman immediately pepped up. "Something to look forward to." A thought occurred to her, and Jane stopped walking, touching the honey brunette on the arm to make her stop as well. "What are you giving up so we can go?"

"That was my shopping day, but I can shop at any time, and you rarely ask to go somewhere when we're together." At Jane's surprised look, Maura shrugged. "I'd rather spend the day doing something you want to do than something I want to do given the fact you're here simply because I want you to be here. We need to go, Jane, or we'll be late to our morning meeting inside the park." Turning on her heels, the doctor again started to the entrance.

"You'd give up primetime shopping for me?" Jane's voice was full of awe. "Thanks, Maura."

"None needed. We'll have just as much fun at the park, if not more so." They stepped into line to enter the park, and Maura pulled out their tickets. "It's only 10:30 in the morning, and the temperature has already reached 91 degrees. Texas summers are…"

"Brutal," Jane finished as she wiped at her brow. "I don't know how they live in this heat. The humidity has to be at least 50%. This is nuts."

"At least there's shaded areas," Maura glanced around at the waterpark before them as they stepped inside. "Gigi said they'd be waiting in the upper level shaded area to the right of the wave pool. That is the wave pool, so it would seem reasonable that is the ramp up to that shaded area," the doctor pointed, "is where we're meeting. There are people there."

"Well, let's go. This bag of bricks is starting to hurt my shoulder," Jane said as she headed for the cement ramp.

Maura scoffed. "There are no bricks in that…"

"Yeah, yeah, you coming or what?"


	13. Chapter 13

"There you girls are!" Gigi's voice echoed in the cavernous area of tables sitting in the manmade shade of the cement and water park. "What took you so long? We were thinking we were going to have to start without you."

"Sorry, Maura's bag of bricks was slowing us down," Jane grunted and managed to gently sit the large and clearly overstuffed beach bag down on an unoccupied table.

The doctor shot her friend a hard look before turning back to the redhead. "Our apologies, Gigi. Our navigation system had us drive through Irving, and there was construction at Beltline Road and Rock Island. It slowed us down."

A scoffing sound came from the table where Cricket and Heather had settled. "Why on Earth would you drive through Irving? That's practically inner city. Aren't you staying at the W?" Cricket rolled her eyes. "You should have taken 35 to 30. I can't believe you'd drive through that. You're lucky you still have the rims on your tires."

"Cricket, really?" Amanda shook her head. "There's nothing wrong with taking the scenic route, but she  _is_  right. That would have been quicker. What were you two doing in Irving?"

Jane plopped down in a chair and winced as the hard and already hot metal made contact with the back of her legs. She adjusted her cover up to helped partially cover where the chair was touching her exposed skin. "Well, Maura decided that she just  _had_  to see that horses sculpture thing in Las Colinas at sunrise. Something about it being a 'must see' or whatever, so we were up  _before_  the crack of dawn to get to William's Square on time."

"The Mustangs are really beautiful, and we have some lovely photos." Maura beamed as she carefully sat down next to Jane and began removing items from the bag. "I'm very excited to show them to our friends in Boston. I think the one of you standing next the sculpture would make a wonderful black and white print, Jane." The honey brunette paused to consider it for moment. "In fact, I think I may submit that one to the next photography exhibition coming up next month."

"Great," Jane rolled her eyes but held her tongue on her thoughts on that particular idea. "Anyway, after that, we stopped and had breakfast at some place called Joe's Coffee Shop because Maura wanted to 'eat some place local', which, apparently, this place is, and we changed while we were there. Joe's is in Irving, hence why we drove through Irving to get here."

"You  _ate_  there? Let me know how you feel in a little while. I may need to keep my distance." Cricket sighed. "Can we get on with this? The day is wasting away while I could be floating down the lazy river and working on my tan."

"Cricket, we're not here to work on our tan. We're here to work on spreading the word of our Lord and to help Children with Something," Carlene said, voice full of chastisement. "Remember our focus."

Cricket rolled her eyes. "Right. Can we move on?"

"Well, I think it's important that we remember that we are representing our charity today," Gigi said as she stood up to signal the start of the meeting. "Today we have several volunteers from the church coming in throughout the day to talk to people in the park about our charity and to ask for donations. At 2 today, Sharon has arranged a catered lunch for our volunteers and the people at the park with a donation box at the end of the line. We'll need to make sure to be there to help. Sharon, where are we setting the tables up?"

"Suntan Lagoon," Sharon said as she stood up and proudly held up a blown up map of the park. As she spoke, she pointed. "We'll have tables set up here, and there will be picnic tables around as well." She made a motion to the surrounding green area, which, on the map, indicated one of the few spots in all the cement where one would find grass. "I also suggest we move our headquarters for today to Oasis Island." She pointed to a covered location not far from the 'lagoon'. "It's higher than most of the places around, and we can supervise better from there."

"We brought binoculars," Heather held up a pair. "The catering company is doing all the work. We don't want to get in their way, right?"

The church ladies all quickly and amicably agreed. Jane and Maura gave each other a look that spoke to their distrust of the reason behind the binoculars.

"What would you have us do in the meantime?" Maura was already repacking the bag. "It sounds as though everything will be running smoothly."

"If you could make a little speech at the lunch, Maura, that would be perfect. The one you gave to the congregation on Sunday about our cause really hit home, and I think you would do a great job of talking about it here, too." Gigi gave a reassuring smile as she added, "And, of course, talk to people in the park as you and Jane are going around. The more exposure we have, the better."

Jane growled. "I already told you…"

"Jane, she's talking about information for the charity," Maura cut her off. "Isn't that right, Gigi?"

The redhead gave a noncommittal shrug before moving on. "Are we ready to relocate?"

"God yes," Cricket said, already standing to walk toward their new home base.

"I'm not talking to anyone," Jane grumbled under her breath as she followed the train of women to their next location.


	14. Chapter 14

The ladies resettled, and Gigi set up shop in the middle of the camp. "You girls go out and have fun," she said as she reclined back between two chairs with a drink in one hand and binoculars in the other. "I'll stay here and stand guard."

Maura smiled. "Thank you, Gigi, that's very kind of you."

As Jane and Maura spoke with Gigi and Amanda while they began to prepare for a little waterpark excitement, Cricket leaned over and whispered to Carlene, Sharon, and Heather, "What do you want to make a bet that cop is covered in something just God awful? Tattoos? Piercings? Maybe some kind of tribal lesbian something?"

"Cricket, what  _is_  it with you and those two?" Heather gave a furtive glance to the two women in question. "Lesbian tribal something? What does that  _even_  mean? Besides, we don't know if they're  _that_ way or not."

"Of course we do! Come on, a blind and half deaf man on his deathbed could tell those two are sleeping with each other," Cricket retorted. "I can't believe Gigi got us involved with those kinds of people."

"Cricket, now you know that God has a plan for us all, and maybe that plan includes us showing those two the Light?" Carlene's eyes never left the detective and doctor, who were standing in their cover ups and talking cordially with each other. "We are often put through trials, and I think this may be one."

"At least they're not attracting attention," Sharon said, arms crossed and a scowl on her face. "If we're going to have to work with them for the rest of the week, it's good that everyone won't know what they are."

"Yes, it's better for business if we don't have that kind of association." Cricket agreed just as both Jane and Maura removed their cover ups. "Oh my Lord," Cricket said as the four women's eyes popped at the sight.

* * *

"Man, Maura, are you sure this suit is okay?" Jane folded her cover up and placed it in the bag as she looked down at herself. The one piece covered most of the scars on her body, including the bullet wound to her torso and back, but the sides were cut out, and the neckline plunged, showing off the best assets the detective had without making her feel too exposed or exposing anything. The black material seemed to be painted onto the brunette's lanky frame, and, though she didn't seem to notice it, every eye in the seating area turned to look at her as she moved to pull her hair back into a ponytail.

"Yes, Jane, I assure you it's fine. It covers everything you said you wanted covered." Maura pulled her cover up off and folded it to place with Jane's. "Trust me." She checked herself to make certain her own suit was still situated as it should be. The white two piece sat perfectly on her frame as it had when she tried it on in the store the day before. The vibrant white was in clear contrast to the evenly tanned skin it covered, and the eyes that had been on Jane now flicked between the two women. The doctor ran a hand behind her neck to check the tie and frowned. "I think this is about to come untied. Jane, can you fix it?" She turned to her friend as she pulled her hair into a ponytail as well.

"Yeah, sure," Jane stepped up, and deftly untied and retied the top, unaware of the eyes watching them both.

* * *

"It's like they stepped out of a fashion magazine," Sharon mumbled, wrapping her arms around herself. "They could be models."

"Every man in this park is going to be watching them," Cricket said, clearly irritated.

Heather smirked, "And some women." She cocked an eyebrow. "So much for low key."

"We have to keep them out of sight until we can show them the way," Carlene said, eyes still a bit wide. "It is our job as good Christians to bring the wayward back to the flock, and we need to bring those two back before everyone in Dallas thinks we support…  _that_ ," she pointed to the two women as Jane finished tying Maura's top and ran a finger along the honey brunette's neck to make certain there were no stray hairs caught in the tie. The doctor gave a visible shiver, but the detective seemed oblivious to that, too. "We need a plan."

Cricket nodded in agreement. "We need to do something. Our brand is in question if we let those two loose unsupervised."

"I," Sharon frowned harder, her arms wrapping more tightly around herself. "I think I'll stay and keep Gigi company. Y'all let me know if you need anything. Besides," she said as she swallowed down a lump in her throat, "I need to stay somewhere the caterers can find me." With that, she walked toward Gigi, making a wide circle around the doctor and detective.

"Okay," Cricket watched Sharon go and gave a shrug. "Anyway, we  _do_  need a plan. What are we going to do, ladies?"

"You know," Heather glanced down at the phone her hand, "I think the park is trying to contact me. They might have some last minute things they want to go over." She clicked the phone on and pretended to check the display. "I think I'm going to just step away and take care of that." She hustled out and away from Oasis Island as she held her phone up to her ear.

"Well, Cricket, it looks like it's up to us to spread the word of God and save those two women's souls," Carlene sighed heavily. "It's going to be difficult, but I feel we can bear this burden."

"I say we stay with them," Cricket said as they watched the two women walk by.

"Good idea! We can help them by moving them in the right direction when they start to sway." Carlene turned on her heels, pulled off her cover up, and practically marched toward Maura and Jane. "Come on, Cricket. Onward Christian Solider!"


	15. Chapter 15

"What do you say we rent out one of those double inner tubes and just float around on the Lazy River all day?" Jane pointed to the artificial river running along beside them as they walked back toward the front of the park. "I'm not really feeling it for any of the rides."

"That sounds like a good idea." Maura stopped abruptly. "We'll need an ID." She turned around only to run into Carlene, pushing her down. "Oh, excuse me! I didn't see you there." She reached down to help the smaller woman up.

Carlene reluctantly took the offered hand. "It's okay," she said with a tight grin. "Where are y'all going?"

"We decided to rent an inner tube and hit the Lazy River for the day," Jane said with a shrug.

"That's exactly what Cricket and I were going to do," the tiny blonde said with an excited clap. "Why don't we keep each other company?"

"Whatever," the detective said with a shrugged as they all turned back to grab identification for the rentals.

 

* * *

 

 

"A double inner tube?" Cricket's voice was low but disapproving as Jane and Maura set the rental in the water and both hopped on so their arms and legs comfortably hung over the sides of the inner tube. She placed the floating lounge chair she'd brought with her into the water and settled into it as Carlene did the same.

"We did try to talk them out of it." The blonde made a face. "This really is going to be more difficult than I originally thought. Just how wrapped up in sin are these two women?"

"I don't know, but…" Cricket raised her head to get a better look at the brunettes in front of them, "Is Maura holding Jane's hand?"

* * *

 

"Thanks, Maura, my hands are killing me. That normally only happens when it's super cold outside." Jane let her eyes close as the doctor worked on one of her hands. "I think the humidity is messing with me."

"That is possible. Your hands seem swollen." Maura's fingers gently worked at the tension in the detective's hands. "Jane, may I ask you an unusual question?"

The dark haired brunette chuckled. "What should make today any different from any other?"

Maura ignored the jab and asked the question. "Do you feel Carlene and Cricket are watching us? I feel as though I'm being chaperoned. Do you get that feeling as well?"

"I honestly haven't been paying attention to them, but, hold on," Jane carefully flipped over so she was face down on the inner tube giving Maura access to her other hand and causing her to face backwards toward Carlene and Cricket. She resettled with her face seemingly turned toward the doctor, but she could see the other two women in her peripheral as they floated along. "Give me a few, and I'll let you know if they're watching us."

"Based on Carlene's comments while we were renting this inner tube, I can't help but get the impression they feel we're doing something illicit," Maura frowned as she stopped rubbing Jane's hand but continued to hold it. "I don't really care for how they've been acting toward us. They act as though we're some kind of threat to them."

"We are," Jane countered. "Well, you are, anyway. Around here power and status seem to be what makes you important, not what you do or how you treat people. It's like Amanda said, it's all in how you look, and you, Maura, look a whole lot better than any of them do." She pulled her hand free and placed it on Maura's thigh as she kept an eye on the reaction of the women behind them. Unsurprisingly, Maura didn't react, but Carlene looked scandalized, and Cricket looked irritated. Jane kept talking. "You have more money than any of them but, maybe, Gigi. Your status is higher, too. You come from old money in Boston, which, I think, trumps old money in Dallas. Plus, you're successful in your career and well respected there. You're attractive. You're well-dressed and well spoken, and you're intelligent. The only thing you don't have that would make you a bigger threat than you already are to their power structure here, is to be married to an equally powerful, wealthy, attractive, intelligent, well spoken, and well-dressed husband, but," she pulled her hand away from Maura's thigh and strained to reach up and run her fingers over the doctor's ear, pushing strands of hair out of her face. Again, she watched the women behind them. Again, they gave the same reaction. "Because you are all of those things, you could pretty easily pick up the husband."

"One, I have no interest in stepping into their power structure here." Maura leaned into Jane's touch. Carlene nearly fell off of her raft. "Two, I have no interest in 'picking up' a husband here or anywhere else. I'm content with how my life is right now. If I wanted to be with someone, it would be because of who they are, not what they could do for my social status."

"That's because you're not superficial." Jane again slowly sat up and turned back around to settle onto her back and face forward. "You're right. They're watching us. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say they think we're dating and have some sort of twisted save-our-soul planning going on."

Maura gave a grunt of acknowledgement. "That is a very sturdy limb you're standing on."

"Did you just go along with my gut and my guess work?" The dark haired brunette's voice raised a notch. "I can't believe it!"

"I've come to learn to trust you, Jane. Besides," Maura reached out to take Jane's hand again, making certain the women behind them could see their intertwined fingers, "I'm a grown woman and will do as I please. I don't like being chaperoned, nor do I care for having beliefs pushed upon me. I feel we should retaliate."

"You mean even more than with backhanded compliments? Because, I got to say, I could have listened to you do that all day long." Jane grinned. "That was awesome."

"They have no right to make such assumptions about us, nor to treat us as they're doing. We're here for charity. We're not here to increase our social standings," Maura took in a deep breath to keep from letting her anger completely take over. "How they are behaving is reprehensible. We should all be focused on the charity work or other matters that pertain to it or to something that is our business to worry about. We should not be focused on matters that are none of our concern."

"In other words," Jane said as she leaned a little closer to the doctor and lowered her voice a smidge, "They're pissing you the hell off and you want to return the favor?"

Maura was quiet for beat. "Yes."

"Day just got better," the detective grinned. "So, what do you propose we do?"

"If they think we're doing something illicit," Maura said with an air of defiance, "perhaps we should make certain they have no question about our illicit affair?"

Jane cocked an eyebrow? "You saying we should gay it up?"

"I'm saying that, when it isn't likely that it would actually affect the charity, we should," the doctor stopped for a beat, then nodded. "Yes, we should 'gay it up."

"Normally, I'd tell you hell no, but they're pissing me off, too," Jane slowly shifted so she could catch the railing to the stairs to exit the Lazy River, "Let's go reapply some sunblock and spend some quality time at Suntan Lagoon. I feel like putting on a show. Maybe, if we do it just right, Carlene's head with explode."

"One can hope," Maura grumbled as they climbed out and headed back to Oasis Island.

 


	16. Chapter 16

Jane and Maura walked through the cool grass of Suntan Lagoon, making certain to pass by as many gawking men as they could before laying out their beach towels next to each other and settling down side-by-side. They were strategically situated in the area that one would consider the front of the lagoon where all eyes could easily see them as they lay out in the sun.

Carlene and Cricket followed at a safe distance behind and made certain to set up their folding lounge chairs in a place where they could both watch the detective and doctor and see who else was watching the two women. As they settled next to each other, Carlene took in a hissing breath. "Oh, we have  _got_ to stop them right now!" She bolted from her chair and made a beeline for the two women she had been watching all day.

* * *

"Okay, you done with your front?" Jane flicked the sunblock's lid down and turned to Maura who nodded. "Want me to do your back or you want to do mine?"

"Hmm… let me do yours?" The doctor sat up and motioned for the dark haired brunette to lie on her stomach. She waited, bottle in hand, as Jane settled with her forehead resting on her forearms. Maura smirked. "Is this a good time?"

"Go for it," came the muffled response.

The doctor gave a squeeze to the bottle to pool a small amount of sunblock into her cupped hand, rubbed her hands together, and began to work the lotion into Jane's skin. She took her time, running her hands along the well-defined muscles of the detective's back, and making a point of putting on a show at how much she was enjoying the process. Her hands floated over the olive skin below them, and Jane, for her part, let out a soft moan as the honey brunette's fingers began to work out the tension in her back as they worked the lotion in.

"Oh my God, Maura, where did you learn to do that?" Jane let out another appreciative groan. From somewhere around them, they heard a man cough uncomfortably.

Maura's smile grew. "I took message and karma sutra class a few years ago."

"Worth the investment," the detective sighed as she felt Maura's hands run over the open sides of her suit. "How's our audience?"

Maura shifted positions, giving her the ability to see their observers. "Carlene is coming this way. Did you get the back of your legs?"

"Yeah, but do my thighs for the sake of Carlene, and then I'll do you back." At the light touch to her exposed thighs, Jane shuddered.

In a louder, sultrier voice, Maura announced, "My turn," just as Carlene stopped beside them with Cricket at her back.

In a swift motion, Jane pushed up to a sitting position as Maura took over lying face down. In a repeat show, Jane began to slowly run the lotion over Maura's back as she gave a hello to their company. "Carlene, you're blocking our sun."

The tiny blonde stood between the two women on the ground and the rest of the park goers. "What do you two think you're doing?"

Jane shrugged as she worked her hands down the doctor's frame, making certain to run her fingers along areas she knew wouldn't bother Maura but would bother Carlene. Her plan worked as Maura let out a groan and Carlene's blush deepened. "Putting sunblock on Maura's back. What does it look like I'm doing?"

"It looks like you're… you're…" the blonde's voice rose, "You two are causing a scene!"

"Really?" The detective gathered more lotion as she glanced around them to look at the surrounding people. With another shrug, she began to run her hands down the backs of Maura's thighs and over her calves, taking special care to cover every inch of skin. The doctor let out a sigh and gave a little shiver. "I think you're the ones causing a scene. We're just trying to work on our tans."

"Carlene," Cricket's voice was quieter, "Maybe you should lower your voice a little. People  _are_ starting to stare."

"Lower my voice?" The little blonde swung around to look at her companion before turning back to the other two women. "How can I lower my voice when such an affront to the very nature, the very foundation of our charity is being made a mockery of? You two need to repent, and you need to do it  _right now_." She gave a little stomp of her foot as she pointed down to them. "What you're doing is a sin. It is unnatural, and it is against the wishes of the Lord." She changed tactics. Her pitch lowered as she offered, "Let us help you find your way back. It's not too late. You don't have to burn in eternal fire and brimstone."

"Bet it's less hot in Hell than it is here in Texas right now," Jane deadpanned. Someone within earshot chuckled.

"This is serious!" Carlene knelt down beside the two as Jane finished up and snapped the lid on the bottle. "We're talking about your soul. We're talking about eternity." Carlene's voice was pleading her case. Jane rolled onto her back beside Maura, who did the same. "Don't you care about what happens to you in the hereafter?"

"Mostly I care that you're still blocking our sun," came the gruff answer from the detective.

"Baby," Maura rolled onto her side and snuggled up to the lanky detective, resting her head on Jane's shoulder and placing a hand on her stomach, "can we have ice cream later? I'm in the mood."

"Yeah?" Ignoring Carlene and Cricket, Jane looked down at the honey brunette. She let a smirk roll across her face. "Who am I to say no? If you want to lick something, I'm game." Somewhere someone choked on something.

Above the man coughing and trying to catch his breath, Cricket chimed in, "You two are making the charity look bad."

"I don't see how that's possible. We're simply lying in the sun and attempting to get a tan," Maura replied with a sigh. "At least we would be if you two would move out of our sunlight."

"You can't be serious. This is Dallas, not your liberal, Democrat, hippie filled Boston," Cricket shot back. "You're in the South. We have  _morals_ here. We expect people to act within a certain code of decency. We expect certain things to stay behind a closed and locked door  _if_ you chose to be  _that_  way."

"You know that better than anyone, Cricket," Jane said as she ran patterns over Maura's back, causing Carlene to grunt in frustration.

Cricket stiffened and then stood up straighter. "I don't think I like what you're insinuating." She glanced down to her cohort. "Come on, Carlene. There's clearly no use in talking to these two. They obviously welcome burning in Hell."

"But," the blonde was uprooted by Cricket's hand on her arm, "We have to show them the way. We have to save their souls! We have to…"

"Leave. Now. Before their sinful ways wash onto us." Cricket walked them back toward their folding chairs without another word and despite the continued protests of her friend.

Jane chuckled. "Well, that was fun."

"It doesn't bother you that they think we're a couple?" Maura pulled up a little to look down at the detective.

"If it did, I wouldn't have suggested we gay it up. Question is," Jane tilted her head in thought, "how far do we go with this? I mean, do we let them keep on thinking we're involved and milk it for the fun, or do we set them straight?"

"I'm not sure." The honey brunette frowned. "Which would you be more comfortable doing?"

"I'm having a blast making Cricket and Carlene's lives miserable. I say we go with it. I mean, it's not like we're going to see any of these people again once we get back to Boston, right?" Jane shrugged.

"More than likely, we will not." Maura paused as she tried to understand the boundaries they were creating for the remainder of their time in Dallas. "So we should act as if we're dating each other?"

"Only if you let me be the guy," came the answer, with just a little tease in the intonation of Jane's suddenly soft voice.

"You know, the whole point of a lesbian relationship is that there is no guy," Maura gave a disapproving shake of her head as she resettled against Jane. "However, that said, I do enjoy when you show your chivalrous side."

"Good, glad that's settled." Jane shifted, Maura snuggled closer. "Don't let us get weird tan lines, okay?"

"I'll make sure to switch sides in a bit," the doctor said as she again placed a hand on Jane's stomach, noting the subtle quiver of muscles under her touch as she did so.

Jane gave a nod. "Don't know what I'd do without,  _Babe_."


	17. Chapter 17

"I think my favorite part of the day was when Carlene almost fell off of the side of that Oasis place when she saw me pick you up to dunk you in the water," Jane was laughing and her mirth filled the car with positive energy. "I swear, if Cricket hadn't grabbed her by the back of her bathing suit and pulled up, I'm pretty sure she'd have taken a nosedive right into the pool." She snorted. "That's probably the worst wedgie I've ever seen on a person."

"I enjoyed the look on Cricket's face when I sat in your lap while we were eating dessert at the end of lunch. I've never seen a look of shock, anger, and worry flash so quickly across anyone's face. Of course, when she choked on her iced tea as she tried to take in a breath to tell us to stop was equally satisfying to watch," Maura eased the car onto Interstate 30, trying to avoid a semi-truck as it came rushing past them at a good 80 miles per hour.

"These drivers are going to get us killed before we can get home," the detective mumbled through gritted teeth. "Anyway, I thought the speech you gave at the lunch thing was really good. I really love how committed you are to your charity causes. It's nice to know there are people like you out there, you know?"

"Thank you, Jane," the honey brunette gave a gentle smile even as she kept her eyes on the road. "Are you hungry?"

The lanky brunette sat up a little straighter in her seat. "Starving! Nothing against the park, but Haagen-Dazs ice cream and six dollar burgers aren't really all that filling."

"No, they're not. I was really glad to see that Sharon had BBQ catered. Although still not as nutritious as I would prefer, it is much better than a chocolate covered ice cream bar." Maura checked her mirrors and made her way to the exit for Victory Park, cutting off a Porsche that had suddenly appeared behind her, and causing a lot of honking from the driver of said Porsche. "When we leave for dinner, will you drive?"

Jane nodded. "Nerves can't take it anymore?"

"I think I may need a break, yes." The doctor's grip on the steering wheel tightened, knuckles turning white as she tried to maneuver in the Dallas traffic.

Jane's hand on her leg took her by surprise, and she startled. "Hey," the dark haired brunette gently said, speaking in her best soothing voice, "we're almost there. It's okay." Gently rubbing the leg beneath her hand, Jane continued to reassure, "We'll get back to the hotel, take a shower and chill out for a little bit, and maybe order room service instead of going back out. Sound good?"

"Yes," Maura nodded, relaxing slightly. "I would like that."

* * *

 

"Doctor Isles with wet hair? I can't believe it," Jane glanced from the giant flat screen television to the woman walking out of the bedroom.

"I had wet hair for most of the day, Jane." Maura rolled her eyes and took a seat next to the other woman who was sprawled across half the sofa. "Pizza I see."

"Yup," Jane sat up to give up room. "I didn't really want anything on the menu, so I ordered a pizza."

Maura nodded. "The usual?"

"Of course. I already had a slice. It's not too bad." Jane stood up to grab another bottle of water from the mini fridge. "Do I want to know how much the stuff in here is costing us?"

"Me, and no," Maura corrected. Taking the opportunity, she lay down across the length of the sofa, stretching out and giving a groan of satisfaction. "Bring me one, too, please."

"Yeah, sure," Jane grabbed another bottle and turned to find the sofa completely taken over. "Really? I should sit on your head. You're in my spot!" The honey brunette simply grinned. "Man," The detective walked back to where she had been sitting, set the bottles on the coffee table, and stared down. "You can't eat lying down, Maura."

"I could, but it would be very messy," the doctor sat up with a sigh, "And very unattractive."

Jane plopped back down in her spot, handed over a bottle of water and a slice of pizza, and then turned back to the muted television. "I figured we'd watch the news. I hate being someplace and not knowing what's going on. You okay with that?"

"I don't mind. We should probably see what the weather will be like for tomorrow. The clothing drive will have us outside most of the day," Maura took a bite of pizza and turned her attention toward the television and the flickering image of Clarice Tensley.

* * *

 

"Really? Your hair is still wet, Maura. God," Jane feigned annoyance, but her eyes said she was amused, "my legs are going to get wet."

"But you're comfortable," Maura whined as she resettled with her head in Jane's lap. The movie they had settled on roared as an artillery shell exploded on the beach of Normandy. "Besides, I let you pick the movie. The least you could do is let me stretch out on the sofa. It's been a long day."

"Fine," the detective rolled her eyes. After a time, she began to run her fingers through Maura's hair, gently untangling it as they watch the movie. With the soothing motions, it didn't take long for the doctor to go from comfortable to asleep.

Jane looked down and took a moment to watch her friend sleep. After spending an entire day acting as a couple, she realized they were still acting like a couple. Friends, even best friends, don't do what they were doing right then. Girlfriends acted this way, and it occurred to the detective that her idea to 'gay it up' may have been a bad idea. Their boundaries were already grey before they started this charade. She was brave enough to admit that, but she wasn't sure she really wanted to take a chance on completely erasing what little definition there was between them as best friends and them as lovers.

She shook her head with the realization that she had managed to shoot herself in the foot, figuratively speaking. The ball was already rolling with the pretense of them as a couple, and there wasn't a way to stop it now that it had started. What's more, she wasn't sure she really wanted to stop it. That was the scariest part of all about the entire situation. In a matter of twelve hours, the detective had managed to put herself in a situation she had successfully avoided for almost 4 years while in Boston.

With a sigh, she came to the conclusion that there was really nothing to do but let it all play out and hope for the best. The movie was coming to an end, and Jane decided to turn it off. She gently slipped off the sofa and padded into the bedroom, rolled down the bed, and came back to find Maura still asleep.

Jane chuckled, "Well, you did say you liked to see my chivalrous side," she whispered as she leaned over and carefully picked the sleeping woman up to carry her into the bedroom.

* * *

 

"You carried me into the bedroom last night?" Maura stepped out of the bathroom to find a barely awake Jane straining one eye open in her morning ritual of trying to force herself to move.

"Hmmmph," came the hoarse response.

Wrapped in one of the hotel's oversized, white, fluffy towels with her hair once again wet, Maura took a seat on the side of the bed beside Jane. "That was very kind of you."

"Mmmmhmm," Jane's eyes had closed again, and she struggled to open them. They widened when they saw the honey brunette in nothing but a towel and still slightly damp from her bath. "Where are you clothes?" Her voice was somewhat panicked sounding and still deep with sleep.

"Hanging in the closet," Maura replied, confusion on her face. "I just got out of the shower. I thought I would wake you so you could take your turn. They're expecting us in a few hours, and I wanted to have a chance to eat breakfast at a local café chain I've heard about. There's one not far from here."

"Right, shower," the detective scrambled out of the bed, "Cold shower," she mumbled to herself as she half fell, half walked to the bathroom, "Very cold shower… shower good," she rambled as the bathroom door closed.

Maura watched the scene with amusement. The day before had turned into an interesting experiment in testing some of the theories she had developed regarding the relationship she and Jane had with each other. In addition, it had been nice to be able to act on some of the overwhelming desires she'd developed over time regarding her best friend, and, based on the physical reactions of the dark haired woman who had just stumbled into the bathroom, Maura was quickly coming to the conclusion that she might not be the only one in their friendship who wanted something more.

The thought excited her; it made her braver in her actions. Two days ago, she would never have come out in nothing but a towel to wake Jane, but she would now. While taking her shower and evaluating the events of the previous day along with the long history she had with the detective, Maura had decided it was time to push their boundaries and at least try to get her detective to acknowledge the obvious and ever growing attraction between them.

What better way, the doctor mused as she pulled clothes out for the day for both of them, than to try to move toward a romance than when one is pretending to already be involved? In her mind, she likened it to using training wheels before attempting to ride a bicycle without them. Practice, she thought, could help Jane feel less uncomfortable with the two actually being a couple.

Her one fear was Jane would run, but that would be neigh impossible to do while they were in Dallas. The time was perfect. It was now or never. She had six days, including today, to get Jane to come around. Time was of the essence.

 


	18. Chapter 18

The narrow two lane street was lined with clean, though older, buildings. It was clear as they drove along Cedar Springs Boulevard that parking would be close to nonexistent. Despite the GPS giving clear directions to their destination, Jane almost missed the well hidden turn between the two buildings that led behind to the only parking in the area.

The bright, warm morning was already starting to feel steamy with the humidity in the air as they stepped out of the car and headed to the café. Jane glanced around to see people milling about, walking to the various stores along the road. She took in a quick mental inventory. There was a Fire Station across from the café they were walking to, various bars and night clubs along the side with the café and across the way, and there were places to shop for clothing, odds and ends, and, toward the end of the block, what looked like a sex toy shop just before a burger joint called "Hunky's".

The detective wiped at her forehead, turning to follow the honey brunette inside the café. "Maura," she whispered so the other patrons couldn't hear her, "Where are we? Was that a _sex shop_  on the corner? What the crap?"

"We are at Café Brazil," Maura answered as she smiled at the waiter who came up to seat them.

Dressed in jeans and a Café Brazil t-shirt, his bright blue hair was done in a faux Mohawk. The rainbow wristband on his left wrist and the Male-Male ring on his right hand only added additional touches of color to the various earrings in his ear and the necklace with the lock hanging around his neck. He sashayed to a stop in front of the women, smiled, and asked in a bright tenor voice, "How many?"

"Two please," Maura answered, ignoring the scoffing sounds coming from her companion.

"You can sit anywhere." He motioned toward the narrow single aisle lined with four seater tables on the side by the front wall of windows and two seater booths on the other. "What do y'all want to drink?"

The doctor bounced to one of the high sitting booths and hopped into one side, looking at the wall beside her that was covered in a large, painted mural of the sun, moon, and stars. "Oh, water is fine, thank you."

Jane followed, eyes going over the bright, vibrant greens and oranges of the walls where there was no brick or glass and the jungle border paper running along the top of the place that completed the Brazilian rain forest motif. She paused for a moment to look at the artwork, making a mental note of the price tags beside most of the pieces hanging on what little wall space there was.

"Ma'am?" The waiter sounded impatient.

"Huh? Oh, um, coffee?" Jane slid into the opposite side of the booth from Maura, eyes still darting around.

"We have an open coffee bar. You can go get whatever you want. Refills are free. I'll go get you a couple of glasses of water while you look over the menu." He left them there to consider.

"Open coffee bar," Jane leaned over and looked back down the aisle toward the front door. "Awesome," she said with a smile as she spotted the coffee bar. It was directly across from the front door. "That's kind of cool. I'm going to get some coffee. I'll be right back, okay?" At Maura's nod, she scooted back out and carefully made her way to the coffee. The narrow aisle forced her to step in between two tables to let the waiter go by with a couple of plates of food for the two men sitting at one of the tables she was standing beside.

With a grunt, she walked on. As she grabbed her coffee and doctored it how she preferred, she again started watching the few people scattered inside the tiny café and outside on the patio in front. The two men who had just received their orders were picking food off of each other's plates. There were two women on the patio who were very engrossed in each other; one was practically sitting in the other's lap, and, she noticed ,with no small amount of surprise, two men dressed in tight fitting jeans, crisply ironed cowboy shirts, cowboy hats, and the boots to match walking hand-in-hand down the street across from the fire station.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and tried not to stare as she walked back to their table. "Maura, seriously, where are we?"

The doctor's eyebrow rose with a small amount of irritation. "I already told you, Jane, we're…"

"At Café Brazil, yeah, I heard you, but you're not telling me everything. Maura, I'm pretty sure everyone in here is gay, and I saw two honest-to-God gay cowboys walking down the street when I was getting my coffee." The detective shifted in her seat, leaning closer to the honey brunette. "Tell me what's going on here. This isn't what I'd expect in Dallas. Are we in some weird alternate dimension or what?"

Maura carefully set the menu down and asked casually, " _Everyone_ in here is gay? Do you really think so?"

"Yeah, I  _really_  think so," Jane glanced around again just to confirm. She didn't change her mind.

"Well, by that line of thought, Jane, that would make the two of us gay as well," the doctor shot back, eyes daring the other women to give a response.

"For the purposes of this week, we are," came the gruff response without a moment's hesitation. The response was followed by an equally quick reaction of shock from the detective. "I mean, well, we're… you know…"

"Yes, I think I do," Maura answered with a smirk. "The locals who come here affectionately refer to it as the Gayborhood. It's one of the more liberal areas of Dallas, and this Café Brazil really was the closest. It's gotten high reviews regarding their breakfast items, and I thought we should give it a try since we were so close to it. If you're uncomfortable, we can leave."

"No, I didn't say that. I just… okay… Gayborhood? Really?" Jane took another look around. "But, seriously, was that a sex shop on the corner?"

The doctor sighed, "Jane…"

* * *

"I'm going to the restroom," Maura announced as she set her fork down on her empty plate.

"Okay, I'm going to grab another cup of coffee. This Spiced Rum stuff is really good. We might have to order some when we get home," Jane said as she followed Maura to the entrance where both the coffee bar and restrooms were located.

"I'll make a note," the smaller woman called out before stepping into one of the restrooms and locking the door.

Jane fell to fixing another cup of coffee. This was her fourth and, she decided, final cup. She was starting to feel jittery, but there was no way she was going to admit that to Maura. She tried to keep herself steady as she stood at the bar and added cream and sugar to her drink. The effort to not shake due to high caffeine levels was surprisingly difficult, and she was so engrossed in what she was doing she didn't notice the tall, muscular brunette step next to her until the other woman spoke.

"What'd you get?" Her voice, like Jane's, was low but lacked the husky quality of the detective's. Dressed in a polo, khakis, and Sketcher's, she was casual looking and seemed nonthreatening to the overly alert detective.

"Spiced Rum," Jane tested her coffee, made a face, and added another sugar packet. "Good stuff."

"Yeah, it's one of my favorites. If it's up on the bar when I'm here, it's normally what I get. Their new one, the French Vanilla, is pretty good, too." The other woman began to make a cup of coffee. "They normally have B-52 up, though." She shrugged at Jane's questioning look. "I come here a lot. I'm a regular. You're not though. You new?"

"Just visiting." Again, Jane tested her coffee and found it agreeable to drink. "Never been here, though. It's not bad. If I'm back in the area, I might come back."

"You should," the other woman turned to face Jane, sipping her black coffee as she spoke, "We could use some fresh faces around here." She offered her hand. "Trix."

"Jane." They shook hands. Jane looked toward the restroom and wondered what was taking Maura so long.

"Hey," Trix gave a nod. "So you like it here?"

"Well," the lanky brunette shifted uncomfortably, "to be honest, I haven't seen much. I'm staying at the W Hotel, and I've only been to Hurricane Harbor so far, so, you know, it's not like I've been doing a lot of sightseeing."

"Hurricane Harbor, huh?" The other brunette looked the detective up and down, not bothering to hide the appraisal in her eyes. "Nice tan."

Jane coughed. "Yeah…"

"Listen, this is my hometown. If you want a local to give you a personal tour," Trix leaned more into Jane's personal space, giving a mischievous grin as she did so, "I would be more than happy to oblige. You  _won't_  be disappointed. Trust me." She winked and reached over to put a hand on Jane's where it held her mug.

"I trust you to take you hand off of her," Maura's voice rang out, causing the two men sitting at the only currently occupied table to take notice. They watched as if a soap opera had just started up, glancing to each other with a look of anticipation.

"Maura, thank God," Jane sighed in relief. "I mean, um… Maura, this is… Trix. Trix, this is Maura." She stepped back and kept her eyes on the doctor as the honey brunette made her way around the muscular woman and to Jane.

"Hey," again Trix gave a nod of hello. "So, you two together?"

"Yes," Maura answered smoothly. She wrapped her arm through Jane's. Jane set her mug on the coffee bar to keep from spilling it. "We are."

"Easy," Trix held her hands up, "You don't have to go all territorial on me. I'm not interested in a pissing match, and I'm not into picking up other women's girlfriends." She shook her head as she looked back to Jane. "Man, why are you letting your femme girlfriend go all butch? What's that about? You should be the one manning up."

"I… um… what?" Confusion evident, Jane looked to Maura for help.

"Gender roles are nothing more than stereotypes. If I wanted to date a man," Maura said with an air of anger and irritation, "I'd be dating a man. I don't want to date a man. I want to date Jane, who, though she has masculine qualities, is very much a woman. I don't appreciate your insinuations." Green eyes narrowed. "I also don't appreciate you hitting my girlfriend." It was out of the doctor's mouth so quickly she almost managed to keep the shock off of her face.

Jane noticed it anyway. "Listen, we were about to go," she said as she pulled Maura back to their table. "Thanks for the offer, but, you know." She glanced over to the woman wrapped around her arm.

"Yeah, sure," Trix shrugged, "whatever."

Leaning over to whisper in Maura's ear, Jane said, "When we get back to the car, we're talking about this."

Maura swallowed hard and nodded.

 


	19. Chapter 19

Jane slipped her arm from Maura's and held the door open as they exited the café. Both were silent on the way to the car, and they were equally silent as they slid inside. The tension was growing increasingly thick until Jane touched the seatbelt, reacting loudly, and throwing them out of their momentary cold war fight.

"Holy crap, that's hot!" Jane pulled away from the buckle, shaking her hand. "I think I just branded myself."

Maura smirked. "I doubt that," her voice lightly chided as she turned the car on and flipped the air conditioning down as low as it would go. "Let me see."

"No, I'm not letting you see it. I told you that when we got to the… hey! Maura!" Jane's protest went unanswered.

In a swift motion, a dainty hand darted out and captured the detectives to pull both closer to the doctor's face for inspection. "The skin is irritated," she said as her eyes focused on Jane's hand, "but nothing is burned. You'll be fine." Her eyes ran up Jane's arms and settled on the other woman's face, capturing her gaze. "It will probably sting for a small time, but that will pass. The initial pain is always the worst in these circumstances," she whispered before pulling in all of her built up courage and leaning over to place a gentle kiss on Jane's fingertips. "Better?"

"I… you… but we need to," shell-shocked, the lanky brunette's face shifted quickly back and forth between angry, confused, and something else the honey brunette was hoping was a match for what she was feeling at that very moment. Whatever the emotion was quickly floated away again, and Jane came back to her senses in record time. "Damn it, Maura," she pulled her hand away. "What the hell are we doing?"

Maura shrugged. "Sitting in our rental car and waiting for the air conditioner to cool off the interior. The last thing we want to do is…"

"Stop being literal. I know you know what I mean. You're just trying to derail me." Jane turned in her seat as best she could with her seatbelt on. "It's not going to work. I interrogate people for a living."

"I'm aware." The smaller woman frowned, looking down at her lap to keep from looking over at the expectant expression on her friend's face.

"Well then, you should also be aware that I don't just let things go when I know something's up, and something was definitely up in that café just now. Maura," Jane's voice was even, not giving away any of the thoughts behind her next question, "Did you set us up?"

Confused, the doctor finally turned to meet the gaze of the woman beside her. "I don't understand what you mean. Set us up how? For what?"

"First you take us to an area of Dallas known for their acceptance of the LGBT community, then you take us to a café that is centered around that community, then you point out that – based on my comment about everyone being gay in there – that makes us gay, then…"

"You did say that, for the purposes of this week, we were, in fact, gay," Maura couldn't stop herself from pointing that little fact out.

Jane balked. "Well, yeah, because we are. I mean, we're pretending to be a couple which means that," she motioned with her hands as if connecting dots as she gave a shrug, "we're gay for the week."

"I don't believe those who frequent this part of Dallas would appreciate the idea of two straight women 'pretending' to be a couple just for the week, and I'm very certain none would appreciate the phrase 'we're gay for the week'. It's insulting, Jane." Maura crossed her arms and gave the detective a hard look.

"Hey, you agreed to go along with this so, if I'm being insulting, so are you," Jane pointed at her friend to emphasize her point. "You're the one that sat in my lap yesterday during lunch. Come to think of it," the dark haired brunette was on a roll, "you're the one that started the whole 'let's pretend to be lovers to make so-and-so leave us alone'. Hello? Can we say Giovanni?"

"Are we really going to play that game?" Maura rolled her eyes. "You've made questionable comments, too, my friend."

Jane scowled. "Really?"

"Yes, really." Maura began ticking them off on her fingers. "Is this a sleepover, or is this your way of saying you're attracted to me?' or 'But I'm interesting and you don't want to sleep with me, do you?' or 'Whatever you want, I can get it' or…"

"Okay, alright," the detective held her hand up to stop the onslaught. "Fine. Whatever, so we've both said and done some things that look sort of sketchy, but," again she pointed at the other woman, "that doesn't explain what you said back there in the café just now."

"All I did was demand that woman take her hands off of you, which is what you wanted, isn't it? You seemed relieved to see me step in, or was that just good acting on your part?" The honey brunette was starting to grind her teeth, and her jaw flexed with the effort.

Jane winced. "No, I was happy to see you step in, but that's beside the point. Maura, if you can't lie, and you said you wanted to date me without so much as a hint of hyperventilation, then…"

"Whatever you're about to say will determine the course of a lot of events," Maura broke in, voice low, quiet, even, and full of warning. "Think carefully before you speak, Jane."

They were both quiet. The sound of the air conditioning blowing cool air into the heated space inside the car was the only sound as they both waited. Maura waited to see what Jane would say next. Jane waited for her brain to decide which way it wanted to go.

Finally, the detective took in a deep breath and spoke in a more normal tone. "This was a bad idea."

Maura's eyebrow rose. "Which part?"

"All of it? Some of it? Just the parts that are making us fight? Hell, I don't know." Jane ran a hand over her face and sighed. "We can't keep this up, though. If we're fighting, they'll know. It'll be sharks in bloody water."

"What would you like to do, then? I don't think we can suddenly act as if we're not dating. They'll just assume we're having a fight," Maura tilted her head in thought, "which we are."

Jane chuckled. "Our first lover's quarrel?"

"No, I think that was when you stopped talking to me for a month because I was dating Byron." Though the comment was serious, the look on the honey brunette's face wasn't.

"Ew, I thought we agreed never to speak of that again. The thought of you sleeping with Sluckie is just… ew." Jane shuddered. "How could you sleep with him?"

Maura shrugged. "He was a good distraction. We've had this conversation."

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry I shot myself so you had to have a distraction, and I'm really sorry that distraction was Sluckie." Jane rubbed at the scar on her stomach, wincing as she did so.

"Water under the bridge, as they say." Reaching out, the doctor put her hand on top of Jane's to stop the motion. "I'm thankful he was there to save you."

Again, Jane gave a heavy sigh. "How long do you think we can keep running in circles?"

"Not long if we're acting like a couple while in public," Maura's fingers wrapped around Jane's wrist. "We may have… how does Barry put it? Hit a wall?"

"Yeah… hard and without a helmet." The detective allowed the other woman to pull their entwined hands over to the armrest between them. She watched as Maura's thumb ran lightly back and forth over her own, and she couldn't help but frown at the goose bumps that appeared along her forearm. "I think we should take this slow and see where it goes."

"How far are you willing to go?" At Jane's look of annoyance, Maura countered with, "I feel it's only fair to ask. You should know that I'm willing to go all the way." She nodded toward the café. "I can't lie, Jane."

"I… I know, and," the lanky brunette closed her eyes and focused on her words, "you don't deserve anything but someone who is willing to give you everything." She opened her eyes again, meeting the doctor's. "I've always thought that."

"He dated you, didn't he?" Maura smirked at the dark haired brunette's confusion. "That's what you said when I said Garret had the best taste in things."

Jane smiled, a blush creeping up her neck. "Exactly, so, if I'm going to do this, I'm not going to do it halfway. I'm all in." She winced. "Until we have to leave to go back to Boston, and then I may flee the country and live in cave because I don't know how I'll deal with Ma if we… if things get… you know."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Maura let go of Jane's hand and turned to the steering wheel. "We have to go. We don't want to be late to the clothing drive. Are you ready?"

"No, but let's do this anyway."

 


	20. Chapter 20

Southern Methodist University life bustled about the very green and well-manicured landscape of campus. Tall leafy trees strategically dotted the lawns to provide shade against the oppressive Texas sun as young adults dressed in the latest fashions from premier designers walked along the sidewalks to get to class on time. Even as life hurried along the narrow side streets that surrounded the campus and rushed quickly by on Central Expressway, the interior of the campus retained a serene peace, which was only interrupted by the sound of young people laughing and talking about everything from the current library being built in honor of former president George W. Bush to what happened on American Idol.

The normal stress and strife of college life also hummed along with the feel of energy a university holds. The pressure to pass with a high GPA, the tension of competing social groups, and the irritation of finding a decent parking place all added to the feel of what it means to be in college.

It was the latter of these stressors that had Jane grumbling as Maura tried to find parking in the small lots located around the perimeter of the dark red brick buildings.

"Really?" Jane rolled her eyes and groaned. "This is ridiculous. How can you have thousands of people going to a school, and only fifty parking spaces? I mean, come on!"

"I think you're over exaggerating," Maura's hands hugged the steering wheel as her eyes darted around to find some place to park. "I believe there is a parking garage across from the campus. We'll park there and cross over."

"I bet it's full," the detective huffed.

Rolling her eyes, Maura made the turn into the parking garage. "A little positive energy couldn't hurt, Jane."

"We'd have been better off walking from the W to here, if you ask me." Jane took the parking ticket from the driver and tossed it onto the dashboard. "We've been looking for parking for twenty minutes."

"Need I remind you that parking at BCU isn't any better?" The car slowly rolled along as Maura's eyes zipped about. "If it weren't for the fact you were driving a police cruiser the last time we were there, we'd have had the same issue we're having now."

"Okay," Jane turned to look at her companion, "lesson learned. Next time we do this, we're driving the cruiser down from Boston."

Maura couldn't stop the laughter. "I don't think you can sit still long enough for that type of road trip."

"Parking space! 2 o'clock!" A sinewy finger pointed as its owner practically bounced in her seat. "Hurry up, Maura, before some punk ass, hipster, twenty year old gets it."

* * *

 

"Maura, Jane," Cricket's voice held the irritation she clearly felt as the two women came to a stop next to her. "You're late."

"Parking was a bitch," Jane said before Maura could answer. The doctor gave a nod and shrug to confirm.

"There's no need for vulgarities," Cricket chastised as she turned toward the tables lined out in the lush green grass of one of the many small common areas of campus. "As you can see, we've set up the tables. Each row will be monitored by two people. We'll take donations, make out a receipt for those who want to make a claim on their taxes, check the donation over to ensure there are no issues with them, and then store them in one of the boxes we've put out along the tables." She moved toward the rest of the church ladies and other volunteers who were gathered in the shade around the refreshment table. Moving with purpose and confidence, she didn't bother to check to see if the newly arrived volunteers were following her.

"And you call me bossy," the detective rolled her eyes as they hurried to follow.

"She is in charge of the clothing drive today," Maura said as she reached out to take Jane's hand in her own. "Carlene's watching us." Maura made eye contact with the petite blonde and gave her a hello smile as she moved closer to Jane. Jane looked over and kissed Maura on the temple. Carlene blanched. Maura gave a little gasp of surprise, but covered it quickly by clearing her throat.

"You could do that even if she wasn't," came the low, gravely response as they all came to a stop in the shade. Jane glanced around and found a friendly face to greet. "Amanda, how's it hanging?"

"Jane," the blonde gave a warm smile as her eyes greeted the detective, the doctor, and then their entwined hands. "Nothing new on my end. New things on yours?"

"Maybe," the brunette shrugged, "Every day is a new adventure around here."

"That's an understatement," Heather said before finishing off her bottle of water.

"Now that everyone's here, we can start." Cricket stood up on a small stool, making her a head taller than most of the crowd. She glanced over the assembled mass, taking a quick mental head count, before she began to speak. "The clothing drive will start in about fifteen minutes. The student body president, JoAnn Billings," she nodded to a young redhead standing not far from her, "has been advertising the drive on campus, and the Residence Life staff, headed by Jackson Hill," she nodded to a tall, broad-shouldered blonde man standing next to the young redhead, "has arranged for the drive to be part of their department's monthly volunteer program. We're expecting…" Cricket paused for a beat. Her eyes had fallen to Jane and Maura.

They had taken up residence beside one of the many trees shading the area. Jane was leaning against the trunk with Maura leaning against the detective. Though both were facing Cricket and were clearly paying attention, Cricket became immediately agitated at the clear display of affection between the two women, and it was enough to cause a minor disturbance in her usually well controlled world.

Jane noticed the issues, pulled Maura closer to her, and gave Cricket a wink and a very bright smile. Cricket cleared her throat and continued on. "I'm sorry. Excuse me. As I was saying, we're expecting a high turnout over the course of the time we've been given to run the clothing drive on campus today. We'll be out here for four hours, and I've estimated that we'll be able to bring in at least fifteen thousand dollars' worth of donations. Any questions?"

Not pulling out of Jane's arms before she spoke, Maura yelled out from the back of the crowd, "I do have a reminder!" All eyes turned to the two women. Some members of the crowd were audibly shocked, others were clearly amused at the shocked voices around them, and Carlene's voice could be heard exclaiming, "Oh my word!" even as Maura kept talking. "The humidity today will be in the upper 40's and the temperature is set to reach at least 103 degrees. Please remember to stay hydrated, and, if you feel dizzy, disoriented, or otherwise uncomfortable, please take a break inside a building to cool down. I believe we all would like to avoid a heat stroke."

Heather leaned over to Amanda and whispered, "I'm pretty sure Carlene just had a stroke." They chuckled.

"Yes," Cricket's voice was guarded, but her eyes shot daggers at the two women against the tree, "That is an excellent reminder, Maura."

"Doctor Isles," Jane called out in correction. She smirked at Cricket's suddenly tense body language.

Cricket's jaw flexed with the effort not to cause a scene. "Yes, thank you Doctor Isles." With a tilt of her head and a small, tight smile, she turned back to the crowd. "Let's take our places."

 


	21. Chapter 21

"Well I think the drive went well," Gigi said before dipping a bit of her salad into some ranch dressing. "I don't know what Cricket was complaining about."

"Well, Momma, I'm sure whatever it was will eventually go away," Amanda said with a smirk as she glanced at the two women across the table from her. "How's your chicken, Jane?"

"It's not bad," the detective cut another piece and popped it in her mouth with a shrug.

"Well, this isn't a five star steakhouse, but I've always liked it." The blonde glanced around at the small restaurant, taking in the Mediterranean themed décor and the nonworking espresso machine sitting in one corner at the front. "It's run by a family, and I think the food is good."

"It's very charming," Maura nodded as she dipped into her hummus with a piece of pita bread. "I think I'll have to insist Mother come here the next time she visits. The food is very authentic, and I know how much she misses the Mediterranean." She paused before taking her bite. "What was the name again?"

"Sevan G&G Café," Amanda answered with a smile. "I don't think a lot of people know about it, which means we're not likely to run into anyone from the clothing drive. I thought a nice, quiet dinner was in order."

"You're lucky you're the one driving," her mother butted in. "I never go anywhere on Greenville Avenue. I can't believe you drug me down here."

"So you wanted to have dinner with Cricket, Carlene, and Sharon at the Warwick?" The blonde rolled her eyes. "I thought you swore off the Melrose after that incident with Barbara Bush a couple of years ago."

"I did!" Gigi waved a hand as if to say to move on. "Babs should never have insisted on Tequila shots. How was I supposed to know she can hold her liquor better than David Hasselhoff on a Friday night?"

"I do not even want to know," Jane mumbled under her breath. "Hey, Maura, can I have some of your hummus?"

"Of course, Jane. You know you're welcome to whatever I have," the honey brunette pushed her hummus bowl closer to the other woman.

"You two can cut it out now." Gigi waved a fork at them. "Carlene and Cricket aren't around, and there's no one here that will care. You don't have to keep that up."

Maura tilted her head, confused. She looked to Amanda and then back to Gigi. "Keep what up?"

"This whole couple thing. If you are, great. If you aren't and are just doing it to get Carlene and Cricket's goat… well, let's just say I've enjoyed the show so far. But don't act someway you're not around me." The redhead set her fork down with a definitive click against her plate.

"Now, I'm normally not this blunt. After all, subtly is key to poise, and I was raised to have manners, but I think it might be better if I just say this." She glanced to her daughter, who was as confused looking as the other women. "You two need allies if you're going to make it through the rest of this week without being tarred and feathered. You've been poking a lot of big bears with even bigger sharp, pointy sticks, and there's going to come a time when something is going to give. Now, there is a certain way of doing things around here, even for the most unorthodox of couples. I'm willing to help you, but only if you tell me which you're doing first. Are you acting as if you are, or are you really? I don't appreciate being lead on."

Jane's eyebrow shot. "Seriously?"

Amanda shot an apologetic look to the women across the way, and shifted in her seat. "Momma, I don't really think…"

"No, Amanda, your mother has a very valid point," Maura cut in. "If we were in Boston and in this situation, she would be equally right to point out what she has." The honey brunette looked to the woman next to her. "What do you want to do?"

The Detective frowned. "Jump on the first plane to Canada, find a cave, and make myself comfortable?"

Maura gave her a sympathetic look. "Jane…"

"Man, okay, look," Jane looked around at the women looking back at her. "Gigi, here's the thing. Carlene and Cricket were pissing us off at the waterpark, and we decided to give them back a little bit of what they were throwing at us. It's just that… things got a little out of hand, and now we're not really sure we can stop it. But," she grunted, trying to piece things together from a social class for which she was almost completely unfamiliar, "are you saying that, if we don't do something different, we might hurt Maura's image?"

"Differently," Maura corrected.

"Not a good time," Jane shot back.

Amanda chuckled.

"Power and politics are big everywhere, not just Dallas," Gigi said without inflection.

"Right," the detective turned to the honey brunette, "Maura, I don't want to do that. You have a good name, and I don't want to mess that up just because you and I decided to…"

"You won't." Maura straighten her posture, placing a hand on Jane's where it rested on the table. "I do, however, need to know which way you'd like to go."

"All in," Jane said as she chewed at her bottom lip. "We already decided, remember?"

Amanda's eyebrows rose. "You two have been busy since you've been here, haven't you?"

"It's been a long week," Jane said with a sigh. "Okay, Gigi… yes, we're doing things to annoy Carlene and Cricket. Yes, Maura and I are a couple. So," she took in a deep breath, "what do we have to do to continue pissing those two off that won't end up with Maura's good name tarnished?"

Gigi grinned. "Well, the first thing we have to do is get you out of t-shirts and jeans and into something a little more fashionable. I think a trip to Niemen's is in order after dessert."

Maura bounced in her seat. "Oh, I love shopping!"

"Great," Jane groaned.

"Right there with you," Amanda nodded in agreement.

 


	22. Chapter 22

"We're going to Willow Bend," Gigi announced as she hopped into the passenger's side of the car. "If we're going to get the upper hand, the last thing we need is to be seen shopping at the Niemen's in Downtown."

"That's fine by me." Amanda checked her passengers for seatbelts before pulling out of the tiny parking lot and onto McKinney Avenue. "The parking is better at Willow Bend anyway."

"Is Willow Bend a name of a building or…" Jane shifted uncomfortably in the backseat, already nervous at both her statement that she and Maura were a couple and her agreement to let Gigi remake her.

The driver chuckled. "It's a mall, one of the higher class ones in the area."

"Yes, and it is the perfect place to go to get you polished," Gigi said as she pulled a small notepad from her purse. "We'll start at Niemen's and buy your wardrobe for the rest of the week, then swing by Sephora to get makeup that actually matches your skin tone," the redhead took notes as she talked aloud. "We'll probably need to buy some brushes, too." Jane grunted and glanced to Maura, who only shrugged. "We should also stop by Brook's Brothers." She turned in her seat to look Jane over. "How set are you on not wearing a dress or a skirt?"

Crossing her arms like a petulant three year old and setting her jaw, the detective said without a hint of humor or irony, "I'm the guy."

Maura rolled her eyes and gave an exasperated sigh. "Jane, we've talked about this. The whole point of a lesbian rela…"

"Maura, I know what you're about to say, and you know how I'm going to respond. We've also talked about how I was going to dress for the rest of the time we were here. Remember? Pants." Jane gave a definitive nod. "No skirts, no dresses, no capris. Pants."

"We'll stop by Anne Taylor and, maybe, Banana Republic," Gigi said as she turned back around. "It's a little low class, but, if you're insisting on pants, we may have to settle." She flipped to a new page in her notebook. "We also need to do something with your hair, and you need a manicure. I think I can talk Stephen Rae's into taking you. It's short notice, but they owe me a few favors." She pulled her phone out and began to write up a text message.

"I'm liking this less and less," the dark haired brunette said as she slowly ran a hand through her hair.

"I think we should thank Gigi for being so willing to help us, Jane," Maura said as she reached over to pat the other woman on the leg. "Besides, I'm excited to see some local stores, aren't you?"

"No, not really." Jane shook her head. "You know how much I hate shopping. I'm not like you, Maura. I don't always look like I stepped off of a runway."

"You're about to," Gigi called out as she looked down at her phone.

"Oh God," Jane winced.

* * *

 

"Welcome to the world of pageants, Jane." Amanda was smiling, clearly amused by the situation. "You're about to become a Stopper Girl."

The detective's eyes grew large. "A what?"

"A Stopper Girl," Gigi repeated. "During my time as a pageant trainer, any girl I took under my wing became known as a Stopper girl." She turned back around to face the detective again. "They never lost a pageant, and you are about to become my next Stopper girl. My girls are known for their confidence, refinement, poise, and grace. You've got the confidence, you've got the look, and you've got the poise when you're not trying to be a tomboy. We just need to work on your refinement and grace." She used her pen to point to the woman in the backseat. "From here on out, you'll do exactly what I tell you to do."

Jane grunted. "Except wear a dress."

"You'll wear a dress when I say you'll wear a dress because, Jane, you have the body of a model, and, if you want to really get at Cricket and Carlene, you need to use every part of the arsenal you've got. It's time you dressed like a girl and acted like…"

"A Stopper Girl," Amanda said.

"Yes, exactly. Stopper Girls don't lose. We win, and we do it with class." Gigi picked up her notepad and started writing again.

"Maura, Ma can never know about this," Jane said with a look of panic in her eyes. "If she found out that I actually agreed to dress like a girl, I'd never hear the end of it."

"You know I can't lie," the doctor said, a smirk on her face. "But I will try to avoid it should the topic come up. I have to admit that I'm excited to see what Gigi has in mind for you."

"Really? I thought you liked how… no, I can't even say that with a straight face." The detective slouched. "Man, this is going to suck."

"Stop slouching, don't use the word suck, and," the redhead glanced over her shoulder, "You can walk in high heels, right?"

The detective groaned. "Oh God…"

"Don't worry about prices," Maura said as they waited for the personal shopper to come back to their private dressing room with the clothing Gigi had ordered be gathered for the lanky brunette to try on. "I'll take care of it."

"Is that code for, 'Don't look at the price tag, Jane'?" The detective leaned against one wall and tried to ignore Gigi, who was sitting in a chair opposite and watching her with a keen eye.

"Let's just say it's better if you consider this an early birthday present and leave it at that," Maura answered as she took a seat next to Gigi on the dressing bench.

"Momma, which direction are you going to go with her? Modern classic or," Amanda tilted her head as she appraised Jane for a moment, "something more chic?"

"I'm thinking colors, fitted, and textures," Gigi said as she looked over her notes. "With her body style, it's going to be important to highlight her trim frame." She flipped the page and frowned. "I also think we'll need to stick with things that are more masculine for her every day wear."

"Oh yes, I agree," Maura nodded. "I also find white, black, darker blues, reds, and deep purples work best with her overall skin tone, and I'm a strong proponent of natural fibers."

Gigi nodded. "It's really the only way to go."

"Okay, where is this personal shopper woman?" Jane crossed her arms and gave a little impatient tap of her foot.

"She'll be here soon. Uncross your arms, stand up straight, and do not tap your foot." The redhead raised an eyebrow. "Remember, poise and elegance. It's important to never give your hand away. If you show your irritation, it can be used against you. You must project an air of calm, cool collectedness at all times."

"Like Maura," Jane said without hesitation. "I just need to be more like Maura." She groaned again. "Yeah… I might as well throw in the towel now."

"Jane, don't be ridiculous. You are more than capable of doing this. I've seen you remain calm under the most trying of circumstances." The doctor stood up, crossing the small space and reaching for the detective's hands. "Just treat this as you would an interrogation."

"This isn't an interrogation, Maura, this is," the taller woman shrugged, at a loss for the right words, "high school all over again, and I'm trying to out popular the popular girls. I was never very good at competing with them in high school. I mean, they always seemed to be able to… to…"

Maura turned around to face the other women. "Could you two give us a few moments in private, please?"

"I'm in the mood for something from Cinnabon anyway," Amanda said as she walked to the door.

"You get five minutes," Gigi said as she stood to follow her daughter. "I need to check on the personal shopper anyway, and I'm going to take a look at jewelry while I'm out there."

"Thank you," Maura said before turning back to Jane.

* * *

 

"You don't have to do this," Maura's voice was gentle. Her hands still held Jane's, and she gave them a little squeeze for reassurance.

"I know I don't, but I also know that we do have to stay here the rest of the week, and I'm tired of Carlene and Cricket acting like they have the upper hand." Jane shifted, frowning. "I volunteered for this, remember?"

"I suspect you may really be doing this for me," the small woman reached up to place a hand on Jane's face. "I want you to know you don't have to try to fit into this society, Jane. I really do like you just as you are."

"Yeah, well, sometimes it'd be nice to feel comfortable in your world. I mean, if we're really going to try this dating thing, I don't want to embarrass you." Pulling her hands free, the detective ran them through her hair, closing her eyes, and letting a humorless chuckle fall from her lips. "I said we're dating, and, you know, we haven't even kissed each other yet."

"That can be rectified," Maura said, voice slightly lower.

Jane's eyes flew open, and she stepped back. Her back hit the wall as Maura stepped closer, closing the distance between them. A smirk on her face, the doctor pushed up on her toes as one hand curled around the other woman's neck and she used her other hand to steady herself against the wall. She pulled Jane forward, pressing a gentle kiss to the quivering lips of the detective, who responded timidly.

Jane pulled away enough to see Maura's face. "Uh," she chewed at her lower lip, "I can do better," she husked out before turning them around, pushing Maura against the wall, and laying a passionate kiss on the more-than-willing doctor.

"Save it for tonight," Gigi's voice cut through the moment, and the two separated as if they'd been suddenly struck by lightning. Wiping at their mouths, blushing furiously, and looking very guilty, they both muttered apologies. Gigi brushed them off and focused on the business at hand. "We need you to start trying things on, Jane. You two can make out later, and you had better not pull that sort of thing where anyone can catch you. Public Displays of Affection are regulated to hand holding and some light touches in appropriate places such as at the waist, elbow, or lower back of your partner, but," she resettled on her chair as the personal shopped followed in with a rack of clothes, "No kissing in public and certainly nothing more than that in public. That's just not something one does in public places."

Maura's blushed deepened. "I'm sorry, Gigi. I'm afraid we got a little carried away. I won't let it happen again."

"Good." The redhead nodded. "Jane. Strip."

Jane blanched. "What?"

 


	23. Chapter 23

"You don't think you're going to try these clothes on over what you're wearing, do you? Now, stop looking at me like I've grown a second head and start taking your clothes off." Gigi crossed her legs and settled into her chair, notepad and pen at the ready to take notes. "We're on a time limit. Stop hemming and hawing around, and get to it."

"Whoa, hold on a second," Jane held her hand up. "All of you can't stay in here while I change!"

"We can, and we will," the older woman said as she pointed to the rack of clothes. "You don't have anything I haven't seen before. Now, start with those white slacks, the light green blouse, and," she glanced back over to the detective, "Take off your clothes before I tell Maura to do it for you. We do not have time for you to be shy about all of this."

Jane blushed deeply. "Oh my God."

"Gigi, that might have been a little much," Maura lightly chastised as she tried, and failed, to hide the amusement she felt about the situation. "Jane, she's right. This will go much faster if you'll just change while we're all here and can quickly decide what works for you and what doesn't. I think you normally refer to these situations as what it's like to quickly pull off a band aide."

"Okay, okay, fine," the detective gave a sigh, rolling her eyes and straightening her posture. "But, Gigi, you should know that… well, never mind." She set her jaw, mentally preparing. "You'll see in a second anyway." With that final statement, she reached down to pull off her top, revealing a dark blue bra and every scar on her upper torso.

"Oh my Lord," the redhead murmured. "You look like you've been shot."

The detective growled, face set into a stony, unemotional mask. "I have been shot." She bent over, pulled off her shoes and socks, and then stood upright again to unbuckle her belt and slide her pants off to reveal a matching set of high cut briefs. "I've been shot, stabbed, burned," she handed each piece of her clothing to Maura, who quietly took the items, folded them, and laid them beside her on the dressing bench, "and a few other things I'd rather not talk about. So, if you were thinking you were going to show off my 'assets', just know that my line is showing off the scars I can cover up." She held her hands up so Gigi could see them, then flipped them over to reveal the scars on the other side. "Got it?"

The strong willed, hard headed older woman met and held the gaze of the strong willed, hard headed younger women, and they remained locked in a silent and tense conversation for what felt like several long minutes before Gigi finally spoke. "How you are right now, Jane, is how you need to be with Carlene and Cricket." She pointed at the scantily clad brunette. "Channel what you're feeling right now, and use it. There's your calm, cool, collected façade."

Jane's jaw flexed, and her eyes darkened as an unspoken anger raced through her mind and body, causing her posture to straighten even more and her face to become a picture of stillness. "Let's just get this over with."

From the dressing bench, Maura cleared her throat and rolled her eyes upwards as one of her hands ran a finger over the light scar on her neck. "I'm sorry, Jane," she whispered. "This was not the best idea." Her voice cracked as her eyes fell to the scar on the detective's stomach. "We can go home."

"No, we can't," Jane spat back. "We're doing this, and I'm beating Carlene and Cricket into the ground at their own game. When we meet up with them tomorrow to go to Al Biernat's," she said as she took the white pants the personal shopper was holding and slid them up her slim frame, "they're not going to know what hit them." She buttoned the slacks, running a hand along the front to smooth out the wrinkles. "We're going through with this, and we're going to win." With a determined gleam in her eye, she pointed to the scar Maura's eyes couldn't seem to leave. "I don't run, and I don't go down without a fight."

"That a girl!" Gigi nodded her approval. "Time to pull yourself up by your boot straps and get to trying this stuff on. You have a hair and a nail appointment in," she checked her watch, "an hour and a half."

Jane nodded. "Let's do it."

Maura swallowed hard, nodding. "At least," she said as she tried to recompose, "we'll not have to go shopping or visit the salon tomorrow during the day."

"Yeah, which means we have all day for Gigi to brief us," Jane said as she pulled on the white leather jacket to complete the outfit. "All in, Maura."

The doctor nodded. "All in, Jane."

* * *

 

"At least Gigi didn't force me to wear some frilly crap from Victoria Secret's to sleep in," Jane said, plopping down on the sofa next to the doctor. She looked down at her Boston Red Sox's tank top and matching red running shorts and smirked, "But she probably would if she knew what I normally sleep in."

Maura shook her head, a smile playing on her face. "I'm certain I've seen something from there stored away at your home for special date nights."

"Just because I have a thing about matching underwear doesn't mean I have a thing for frilly, matching underwear." The detective gave a disgusted snort. "Casey sent me that teddy as a 'gift'. If he wasn't halfway around the world, I would have throttled him for that."

"But you did keep it," Maura pointed out as she straightened the tie on her dressing gown.

"I have no idea why. I wouldn't be caught dead in it," Jane shrugged. "I guess I just don't really know what to do with it."

"I suppose I can understand that," the doctor gave a shrug of her own. "Jane," her voice went from light to something more serious, "Are we going to talk about today?"

The dark haired brunette flipped the television off and turned to the other woman. "What is there to talk about?"

"Well," honey locks bounced as the doctor tilted her head and began to list off the day's events, "we've decided to move forward in our relationship, we've come out as dating each other, you've decided to take a 'crash course' in Texas High Society, you had your first complete wax job today," at the detective's wince, Maura patted her knee, "and, of course, we did manage a kiss today."

"Yeah," Jane gave a coy smile. "I think that was my favorite part of the day."

Maura returned the smile. "Mine, too."

Glancing down at her hands, Jane was quiet for a time. "Tomorrow is going to be Hell for me, Maura, but I meant what I said. We're going to beat those two into the ground." She looked back to the doctor. "In Boston, with your money and name and with my reputation, we'd be a power a couple. You know that?"

"The thought had crossed my mind today, yes," Maura shook her head in confusion, "But what are you getting at? You know that doesn't matter to me."

"I know that, but, down here it matters. It's like Gigi said today, we have to use everything we've got if we're going to win this war, and, frankly," Jane stood up, walking to the large floor-to-ceiling windows to stare out over the city, "one of the things that's always scared me about the idea of having a relationship with you is that I wouldn't fit into your world." She stared out across the vast sea of lights, hands held tightly behind her back. "If I can do this, then I know I can hold my own anywhere you need me to be."

"You don't have to change for me, Jane. I've already told you that," Maura was suddenly at her side, pulling the detective's hands into her own and forcing the other woman to look at her. "I don't care what anyone else thinks about you or about us. I only care what you think about us."

"I think," Jane's eyes roamed over the frame of the shorter woman, "I think that I'm really scared about everything that's going on between us, and I sort of feel like everything is moving really fast but not fast enough at the same time." She grimaced. "If that makes any sense?"

"It does," came the very soft response. "We'll go as quickly or as slowly as you need. I'm patient."

"Yeah, well, I'm not." They gave a quiet chuckle. "Maura, I… Well, it's just that you and I have been," she blushed, clearly flustered with whatever thought was stuck inside her mind. She pulled her hands free, closed her eyes, and took in a calming breath. As she opened her eyes again, she found and held the other woman's gaze. "I'm tired of waiting."

"Then don't." Maura's voice was soft. Her eyes held a promise of something more, something exciting as she stepped closer to the taller woman. "You don't have to ask my permission, Jane. You already have it."

With a relieved sigh, the detective bent down to kiss the other woman, pulling her closer to close the distance between them. "But will you respect me in the morning," she husked out, a smirk on her face.

"Only if you finish what you just started," Maura retorted as she wrapped her arms around Jane's slender neck.

A half chuckle, half growl escaped the back of Jane's throat as she reluctantly pulled away to walk to the bedroom. "Guess that means I should finish it." She glanced over her shoulder, invitation written over her face. "Coming?"

"Hopefully," Maura muttered as she quickly followed.

* * *

 

"Rizzoli," Jane's deep, husky voice was all the more so as she answered her phone through the haze of sleep she was fighting off.

"This is how you answer the phone?" Gigi's voice pierced through the peacefulness Jane had been enjoying. "From here on out, you need to answer the phone with…"

"I'm a cop. We answer with our last names. It's effective and efficient." Jane sat up in the bed, moving the covers and causing Maura to whimper at the sudden rush of cold air. "Plus, it makes me sound like the badass that I am."

Gigi clicked her tongue in thought. "I see your point. Anyway, what time are you two coming over? It's already eight. That day is wasting away!"

"Really?" Jane ran a hand through her mess of dark hair. "You're worse than Ma. Look," she glanced over to the curled up ball that was Maura Isles, smiled gently, and pulled the covers back over the doctor, "Maura and I had a late night. We'll be over after lunch."

"But that's hardly any time at all!" Gigi's voice was practically distraught. "Why don't you two come have lunch with me? It'll be a good opportunity for me to test your table manners."

"First of all," Jane pushed back to lean against the headboard and moved her arm so Maura could snuggle up next to her, "Maura has you covered there. She taught me the table manners thing a couple of years ago so I wouldn't embarrass myself at the dinners she has me go to with her." She laid her free arm along the smaller woman's back and under the covers, running a light pattern across the exposed skin she found there. "Second of all, I'm having brunch with my girlfriend. We'll be there around one, and I'll be poised and polished, but you need to give me a couple of hours to get what's left of my Boston Italian Blue Collar Self out before I pull out my Boston Italian White Collar Self." She smiled despite herself. "I promise that Maura and I will be the Perfect Power Couple. Good?"

"I'll hold you to it," Gigi said, clearly annoyed. "You're a Stopper Girl now, Jane. I expect nothing but perfectionism."

"I know, and you'll get it. Now, I'm going to get off the phone so Maura and I can shower and go eat. I'll talk to you later, Gigi." Jane ended the call, tossed her phone back on the night stand, and turned to look down at the woman curled around her. "You're cuddly in the morning."

"Mmmm," Maura purred, "You're soft and warm."

"As much as I like this," the detective gave a wistful sigh, "we really do need to get up."

"I know," the honey brunette sat up, letting the covers slip down to reveal her tan lines. She looked over to the other woman, eyes twinkling with mischief. "Do you want to take a shower with me?"

"Am I a Red Sox Fan?" Jane jumped out of bed, revealing her own tan lines. "Let me hit the bathroom, and then you can have it while I make us a pot of coffee."

"Fine," Maura laid down again, moving into Jane's warm spot in the bed and inhaling deeply. "I'll call you when I'm ready to take a shower."

Jane's smile grew as she headed to the bathroom, a bounce in her step.

 


	24. Chapter 24

"You know," Jane leaned in toward the bathroom mirror and opened her eyes wider as she applied eyeliner, "don't tell Gigi, but I think I actually like the plum highlights." She pulled back to double check her makeup application.

"I like it, too," Maura smiled as she carefully placed her brushes back in their respective places in her makeup bag. "I also appreciate the matching underwear. Plum is a very lovely color on you, Jane."

With a grunt, the detective looked down quickly and shrugged. "I didn't want to get makeup on my outfit. If we're going to be a power couple, I think it would probably mess up the look if I had foundation smeared across my chest or something."

"Yes, I see your point." Chuckling, Maura stepped out of the bathroom only to return a moment later with their outfits in her hand. "I'm glad we went with red and black. I think we'll complement each other nicely."

Stepping away from the mirror, Jane gave a few touchups to her hair before she turned around. "Power colors, right?"

The honey brunette tilted her head. "Yes, they are. I hadn't considered that before." She shrugged. "Are you ready to get dressed? Gigi is going to be very cross with us that we didn't arrive earlier for more instruction."

"We were busy." The mischievous grin on Jane's face made Maura blush. "Okay, hand it over."

Maura handed over the deep wine red dress to Jane, who took it off the hanger and slid it down and over her lithe frame. She ran her hands down her sides, pulling the wrinkles out as her eyes ran over the black accents of the garment. She stepped closer to the other woman and turned. "Zip me up?" She lifted her hair and felt the dress become a second skin as Maura slowly pulled the zipper up and fastened the clasp at the top. Exhaling, she turned around to face the smaller woman. "How do I look?"

"Stunning," Maura managed to whisper as her eyes ran over every curve on the other woman's body. Jane raised an eyebrow. Maura shook her head as if to clear it before plucking her own dress off of the hanger and slipping it on. The white fabric with its own set of black accents fell into place, and she smiled as she watched Jane's eyes grow a little hungry. She turned, raising her hair, and asking, "Return the favor?"

Jane complied, hands shaking slightly as she zipped up the dress and tried not to unzip it again. "So," she tried to focus on the mission, "Where did you put the accessories?"

"They're in the safe. I'll go get them if you'll pull out our shoes for us." Maura was already headed to the safe located in the closet.

A few moments later, they were both dressed, primped. polished, and accessorized. As they stood looking at their reflection in the large vanity mirror in the master bath, Jane couldn't help but give a self-satisfied smirk. "You do realize," she said as she offered her arm to the other woman, who happily took it as they watched their reflections, "that every eye in that place is going to be on you tonight, right?"

"Oh, I think you're wrong, Jane." Maura's eyes twinkled with pride. "I think they'll be on us tonight."

"Hmm," the detective pretended to consider the thought for a moment. "Two really hot women wearing really short dresses that are practically painted on but the look classy about it?" She grinned. "What is there to stare at?"

Maura batted at the woman next to her. "You're enjoying this!"

"I'm enjoying you and how you're looking at me right now," Jane answered honestly. "Now, let's go kick some aristocratic ass."

"Okay, but only because you were so very elegant in making the request," the doctor answered as she picked up her and Jane's purse from the vanity and turned to go.

"Let me get it out now," the dark haired brunette groaned.

* * *

 

Jane left the keys for the valet before stepping out of the car, high heels confidentially clicking as she made her way around the vehicle to open the passenger's door and assist Maura out. Maura waited for Jane to close the door, and she gracefully took Jane's offered arm as they walked into the restaurant.

They both gave a graceful nod of thanks to the doorman before stepping inside the crowded waiting area and searching for their companions, whom they spotted waiting in the bar area. Jane led them to the small, round table where Cricket, Carlene, Sharon, Amanda, and Gigi were already crowded. The couple could feel eyes on them as they walked, and Jane couldn't help but give a very small smirk.

As they reached the table, all conversation from their companions stopped. "Gigi," Jane said, voice full of calm with just a hint pleasantness, "is that a new dress?"

"Jane!" Gigi practically yelp, her face completely betraying her surprise before she could stop herself. Quickly pulling herself back to together, the redhead gave a smile and stood to give a quick hug hello to the newcomers. "It is. I bought it yesterday. I'm so glad you both could make it out tonight." She sat back down.

"Hello Amanda," Maura's smile beamed.

"Maura, Jane," Amanda nodded, eyes flipping from the two women to some place behind them. "I see Heather. I'm going to go save her from Dan McAllen. If you'll excuse me?" With a wink, she slid from her chair and made her way to Heather, who was clearly having an uncomfortable conversation with a man old enough to be her father.

Jane moved to pull the chair out for Maura, who glided in and sat down in one easy motion. Standing by her side, Jane continued to give just a hint of a smirk as she addressed the other women. "Ladies."

Cricket glared. "You're late."

"We'd hate to be too early," Maura replied without hesitation.

"What would people think if we showed up before anyone was here?" Jane added, her face not changing expression.

"I was the first one here." Sharon's brow knitted in confusion.

"Of course you were," Cricket rolled her eyes. "You were in charge of tonight's dinner. Speaking of, is our private room ready? It's more crowded up here than the State Fair on Texas/OU weekend. I was not meant to be a sardine, Sharon."

Sharon winced. "Let me just go check."

"So," Carlene glanced between the detective and doctor, "I see you came together."

"Of course," Jane tilted her head, much as Maura was apt to do, "who else would we come with? I, for one, would never dream of coming with anyone but Maura."

The petite blonde took in a quick breath as a scandalized look crossed her face. "I could think of a few very nice, self-respecting, Godly men who you might consider coming with," she countered, face growing determined.

Maura glanced to Jane, running her eyes over the taller woman. "I think I would much prefer to come with the one that has already brought me." She turned back to the women across from her. "Isn't that the saying here?"

"Something like that," Cricket answered with an eye roll. "I see Sharon coming back. I hope our room is ready. I can't believe Al Biernat's is this crowded tonight."

Sharon gave a little wave with a bit of hop to get people's attention. "Okay, everything's set. We can all go back now."

"Excellent," Maura again took Jane's arm, and the couple managed to lead the pack of people as they made their way to a private section of the steakhouse. "Jane," she said low enough for only her partner to hear her, "I wasn't aware you could walk so gracefully in heels."

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Maura," the detective said with aplomb. "But I hope you learn everything."

"As do I," the smaller woman nodded before allowing herself to be seated and Jane to take the seat to her left. "I am very much looking forward to the remainder of tonight."

"As am I," Jane said with a smirk before taking a sip from her water glass.

 


	25. Chapter 25

Jane, Maura, and the rest of those in attendance for the fundraising dinner settled into a long, narrow room almost completely taken up by one very long, massive table. The light tan, textured paint that ran around the bottom half of the walls and the almost teal green paint that ran along the upper half of the walls greatly clashed with most of the outfits worn by the ladies and gentlemen currently seated and quietly talking as best they could along the rectangular table.

Having been the first to enter the room, Jane and Maura were seated at the end of the table and almost right next to the wall, just below a flat screen television, which was currently off. Gigi had opted to swing in quickly to take a seat immediately next to the wall and right beside Maura.

Next to Jane sat Amanda with Heather next to her. Across from Gigi was Ripp. To his side, Carlene happily sat, ever his contented wife. Next to her sat Cricket with Blake by her side and immediately across from Amanda. Thus, the regular players in this week's activities, with the exception of Sharon, were arranged into what an outsider looking in could easily describe as a wagon circle of overly polished and highly annoyed women with oblivious husbands interspersed for looks.

Sharon's seat was directly across from Heather, but it was unoccupied, and her husband, Zach, kept looking to his left with a worried expression at the absences of his wife. As the attendees settled at the twenty-six place settings along the table, a glass was tapped, bringing everyone to silence.

At the far end of the table, away from the wall with the television and the empty seat, stood Sharon. Dressed in something reminiscent of the latest Fashion Barbie style and smiling brightly as her top bounced along with the rest of her in her excitement, she carefully set the glass down and clasped her hands together.

"Hi y'all," she said, voice bright with excitement. Gigi winced. Cricket rolled her eyes. Carlene smiled brightly, and Maura and Jane's expression remained unchanged. "Welcome to the First Annual Dinner for Children with Something!" Sharon gave a little giggle of excitement. "I'd like to thank everyone here. The cost of your three course meal tonight will go to benefit all those children with something, and I want to extend a special thank you to Doctor Maura Isles and her family's charitable organization, the Isles Foundation, for agreeing to match the total price of tonight's combined plates. Thank you, Doctor Isles!" Sharon gave an energetic clap, while the rest gave much more conservative claps. Maura smiled gently and gave a nod in response.

As Sharon spoke about the meal, the fundraising so far, and other various assorted items associated with the week's charitable events, Cricket leaned over to Carlene and whispered, "If she bounces anymore tonight, none of us are going to wonder what Zach sees in the bedroom."

"We'll just have to pray the structural integrity of her dress maintains through the night," Carlene whispered, closing her eyes briefly.

Across from them, Jane and Maura maintained quiet and polite attention to the night's hostess, though Jane's eyes flicked quickly over when she heard the low murmurs of the other women. Waiting until Sharon's speech was over, the clapping had quieted down, and Blake and Ripp were engaged with conversations with people other than their wives, Jane said to Maura smoothly and loud enough for the others around her to hear, "It's clear that Sharon put in a lot of time and effort for tonight. The room is lovely, her dress is very fitting for her, and I'm excited to finally try something from here. I've read this restaurant has high reviews by the local patrons."

Maura raised an eyebrow at the tone and demeanor of Jane's comment, but decided to follow along. "Yes, I think she's done a wonderful job, and I believe her dress is a Chanel."

Jane nodded. "I think that shade of pink is lovely on her. Don't you, Cricket?" Jane turned a cool gaze to the woman directly across from her.

"Well, it's certainly eye catching," Cricket said with a raise of her eyebrow and a tilt of her head. "Modesty notwithstanding."

"At least her cross is straight," Carlene said with a sigh.

"Straight is relative," Jane said before picking up her water glass to take a sip.

"Indeed," Maura's polite smile never wavered. "Seeing something as straight and it actually being so are often two different things."

"How do you measure straight, Cricket?" Jane gently returned her glass to the table, that same calm, cool expression still on her face. "As a woman who deals in fashion design, among other things, I'm sure you have to find a way to determine the straightness of something all the time, don't you?"

"There's a fine art to it," Cricket said, posturing a bit. "When you don't have the right tools to measure the waywardness of something, sometimes you have to improvise."

"Having the right tools for the job  _is_ important," Maura agreed. "Fortunately, Jane always has the rights tools for anything needs I have."

" _That_ ," Jane said with a small smirk on her face, "is also a fine art."

Cricket's eyes widened a bit, but, before she could speak, Carlene broke back into the conversation. "The Bible tells us the importance of being prepared. Have you read it? Those portions, I mean?" She was clearly raising the stakes.

"Of course," the doctor turned to thank the waiter who had just set down her salad.

"I was raised Catholic," the detective answered as she patiently waited for everyone to receive their first course. "I'm well versed in the Bible, and, in fact, I can recite a great deal of the Scripture."

Carlene smiled. "Oh, really? What's your favorite verse?"

Not missing a beat, Jane coolly answered, "Song of Solomon has always been a favorite of mine." She looked to Maura, eyes growing less harsh. "Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is stronger than death." She looked back to Carlene. "Song of Solomon, 8:6."

Cricket rolled her eyes as Carlene took in a harsh gasp of air. "Song of Solomon is for married couples to express their love and devotion to each other." She took in another breath to speak, but Jane cut her off, again looking to Maura.

"Jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very  _flame_  of the Lord." Jane gave Maura a secretive smile before turning back to a red-faced Carlene. "Many water cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it. Song of Solomon 8:6 to 8:7." She picked up her knife and fork to cut the salad into more bite sized pieces as she spoke, looking to her food instead of her opponent. "I believe that means the fire of love is God's gift to us, and, once one finds that kind of love,  _no one_  and  _nothing_  can extinguish that Divine gift." She looked to the honey brunette at her side. "Don't you?"

A blush had flowed across Maura's face as Jane spoke, and it took all her will power to remain composed instead of turning into the teenaged, love stricken girl she had suddenly found herself mentally to be. "That would be my interpretation, yes."

"Yes, the Lord does sanctify the marriage between a man and woman," Carlene said, her voice becoming more absolute in purpose as she spoke.

The sound of his wife's voice pulled Ripp from his conversation with Gigi, and, sensing something was about to happen, he quickly stepped in. "Gigi, I think we pulled ourselves away. Enough about the oil market," he said with a happy smile. "What are you girls talking about?"

"Love and marriage," Jane answered before taking a bite of her salad.

"Yes, it's quite the institution," Maura said from behind her water glass. "Though I'm certain some would see it more in terms of a working business relationship, as it could be argued to be."

Cricket snorted. Ripp glanced to the women on his side of the table, and quickly tried to change direction. "Doctor Isles, it was really nice of your organization to donate to my wife's charity. It's important to help these children with something."

"Thank you," she gave a nod to indicate she was willing to turn directions. "When I worked with Doctors Without Borders, I came to realize the importance of helping the impoverished."

"I didn't know they cut up dead people. I thought they only helped with the living," Cricket jumped on this new information.

"Did you know," Jane stepped in again, ignoring Ripp's attempt to redirect away from the tension building at their end of the table, "It is entirely possible to commit the perfect homicide?"

Ignoring the jarring feel she had injected with her seemingly random comment, Jane placed her utensils in their proper place, indicating she was finished with her course, and continued on as though she were commenting on the weather. "Someone with an incredibly high IQ, a very keen eye for detail, an extensive knowledge of the human antimony, and intimate knowledge of forensics and how to prevent forensic evidence from appearing at a crime scene could easily do it. It's likely to be even more successful if that person has an accomplice who can vouch for their whereabouts, provide specific knowledge of how crimes are investigated, and knows the tricks used by law enforcement in finding leads and clues."

"Theoretically," Maura added, with a look of apology to Ripp, "that  _is_  true."

Gigi, who had been quietly watching the scene play out since her conversation with Ripp had ended, asked, "I understand  _your_ IQ is quite high, isn't it, Maura?"

Maura smirked as she looked down at her plate. "I qualify as a genius, yes."

"How long have you been a detective?" This from Amanda, who had clued into the more interesting conversation going on to her right.

"Nearly a decade," Jane answered as she looked to her side to thank the waiter for removing her plate.

"Interesting," Amanda commented as she glanced to Cricket. "Don't they make an interesting pair, Cricket? A top-in-her-field Medical Examiner with ties to families across the States and a highly decorated homicide detective well-known in her city to be one of the best in her field as well? It's sort of like Batman and Robin, but with better style and class."

"Thank you," Maura and Jane said simultaneously.

"Excuse me," Cricket stood up, nearly letting the back of her chair hit the wall behind her, "I need to take a phone call." Pulling her purse onto her shoulder, she walked out of the room. Blake saw her go, excused himself from his conversation with Heather, and quickly stood to follow, clearly confused as to what was going on.

"The salad was lovely, don't you think, Gigi?" Jane looked over to the redhead at the end of the table.

"Yes," the older woman nodded, her eyes sparkling with humor. "I think this is one of the best appetizers I've had in a long time."


	26. Chapter 26

"That smells delicious, Maura. What did you say you ordered?" Jane glanced down and to her right at the plate the server placed in front of the honey brunette, subtly ignoring the not so subtle return of Cricket and Blake to the table.

Giving a gentle smile, Maura answered demurely, "Veal Osso Bucco with a wild mushroom risotto." Her eyes turned from her plate to the sharp featured brunette to her left. Inclining her head slightly, licking her lips, and ever so slightly narrowing her eyes, she asked quietly, "I realize it may be poor etiquette, but would you like a taste?"

The detective's eyes gave away what the rest of her facial expression and body language did not, which was a resounding yes to the unspoken question radiating from the doctor. "No, thank you," she answered with just the slightest growl to her voice, "but maybe we can share dessert?"

"Yes, I'd like that," Maura nodded, looking down to Jane's plate. "You'll have to tell me what you think of your Filet Mignon. I know how much you were looking forward to a steak prepared in Texas."

Jane's smiled beamed as she turned back to pick up her water glass. "Of course."

"Oh my God," Cricket grumbled. "Could they  _be_ any more obvious?" She huffed under her breath, causing Carlene to lean a bit closer to her to hear.

In response, Carlene whispered just loud enough for her voice to sound more like hissing than talking to the women across the table, "First they make a mockery of the Lord's Teachings, and now they're being inappropriate at dinner, but what can we do? Ripp told me we shouldn't make a scene here, but I just don't think it's right to allow them to keep doing what they're doing while working in the name of my charity, which represents upright Christian morals and values."

With another eye roll, Cricket deadpanned back in just as low of a tone, "Yes, that's exactly the problem."

"Gigi, do I recall correctly that you said they have pecan pie here?" Maura asked loud enough to cut through the quiet hissing on the other side of the table.

"Yes, that's right. It's almost as good as the ones I make," the redhead gave a polite smile, "but, if you're looking for a good representation of a good Texas Pecan Pie, it's worth a try."

"Carlene makes the best pecan pies in the area," Ripp said with a smile. "Isn't that right, sugar?" He gave the petite blonde a pat on the arm, pulling her from her secretive talk with Cricket. "She's won Best Pecan Pie four years' running at the Texas Chili Cook-off in Frisco."

"Yes, that's right," she nodded, a tight smile on her lips. "But, of course, it's best not to be prideful about these sorts of things, Ripp. There were a lot of excellent entries. I was just blessed to be the best for the past four years."

"Of course, darling," Ripp gave an approving smile.

"We wouldn't want anyone to feel bad for not being as  _blessed_ , Ripp," Cricket tipped her head as she looked down to cut a piece from her steak. "I'm sure not everyone here can be a winner."

Without a beat passing, Gigi nonchalantly commented, "My girls have never lost a pageant."

"Which just goes to show that  _someone_  else had to be the  _loser_ ," Cricket glanced across from her, smirking. "Isn't that right?"

"I've occasionally lost chess games to Jane," Maura comment as she clearly ran through various scenarios in her head, "and I've never been very good with exceptionally physical sports such as football, for example. However, I've never been what one might consider a loser in anything pertaining to my field, and I don't believe I've ever unintentionally lost a game of chess to anyone  _but_  Jane." She looked again to the woman beside her. "We seem to be evenly matched in that regard."

"Not winning is just another way of finding out the best way to win in the future," Jane stated matter-of-factly, ignoring the blush creeping up her neck at Maura's words. "I don't like to think in terms of losing. I like to think in terms of winning." She looked directly into the woman's eyes next to her as she finished her thought. "It's all in how you define things."

"Yes," Maura's face was passive, but her eyes shone with approval. "I believe that's true, as well." She turned back to Cricket and Carlene. "How do you define winning Cricket?"

"Well, that's obvious, isn't it?" The Texas brunette narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out where the other woman was going. "Winning means to be the best at whatever it is you're doing."

Maura nodded. "What about you, Carlene? What constitutes winning for you?"

"Well, I don't think that really matters, does it? I mean, what matters is that we're doing what the Big Guy Upstairs says we should be doing so that we can all win in the end, right? If we  _happen_  to be the best at doing what we do down here on Earth, that's just an added bonus." The petite blonde raised an eyebrow. "Of course, it doesn't hurt to be the best, the one on top, so that you can help lead others in the right direction. Lead by example, right, Ripp?"

"I've always believed it's important to practice what you preach," Ripp said before taking a bite of his steak.

"I've always believed being on top was part of the fun of it all," Cricket commented with a smirk.

"You do strike me as aggressive, Cricket," Maura said with no inflection to indicate how positive or negative she thought the observation might be. "One might hypothesize that you are the best at being on top. Is that right?" Again, her voice indicated nothing.

Rising to the challenge, Cricketed jutted her chin out and narrowed her eyes as she answered with a haughty tone, "Yes, that's right. I  _am_  the best at being on top."

Maura glanced to Jane as if to ask permission. Seeming to find what she was looking for in the look the dark haired brunette gave her, she said, "That's interesting. Blake," she called out, pulling Cricket's husband from his conversation with Amanda and gaining both his and Amanda's attention in the process, "are you just as good at being on top as Cricket?"

Eyes growing large, Blake managed to spit out a very fast, "Beg your pardon?"

Amanda tried to swallow down her gasp of shock, only to manage to choke on it and turn away to keep from coughing on anyone.

"We were just discussing people who are considered winners," Maura replied with grace, "and Cricket told us she considered herself to be a winner, someone who was always on top and was good at being so. Since you two seem so evenly suited for each other, as a husband and wife ought to be, I wondered if you were equally good at being on top." The doctor's face remained with the same still, passive expression as she took a bite of her risotto and waited for a response.

"Well, I," Blake glanced to Cricket, who was trying to gain control of the growing look of horror on her face, "suppose, if you were to put it in those terms, Cricket and I are both," again he looked to his wife, eyes narrowing and an extreme look of disapproval crossing his face. "We're both very good at what we do  _most_  of the time." Reigning himself back in, he reached over to put a hand over his wife's where it rested beside her plate of lobster tail. "Honey, didn't we agree to  _take it easy_  on talking about  _challenges_ , like winning for the rest of the night? I thought we were going to try to leave work at home for the evening, weren't we?"

"Yes, we were," Cricket gave a heavy huff. "I just got caught up. You know how it is." She finally looked across the table again. "When your whole world revolves around something, sometimes it's hard to stop." Looking back to Blake and giving a reassuring smile, she said, "I'm sorry, Blake, I'll try to not talk shop for the rest of the night."

"Great," he nodded, glancing to Maura and Jane. "I think we could all use a break."

"I think so, too," Ripp said loud enough to be heard over the small murmur that filled the room. "Why don't we all enjoy the good food and good company? We can  _work_  some other time, can't we?"

"Where's the fun in that?" Gigi said with a smirk. "Working makes the world go round, gentlemen."

"All work, Gigi," Blake shot back.

"True," the redhead conceded with a tip of her wine glass.

Jane's smile turned smug as she leaned over and whispered in Maura's ear, "I love winning."

Aloud, but in a low voice, Maura replied with the same smug smile on her face, "As do I."


	27. Chapter 27

"Oh, what a wonderfully rustic presentation!" Maura gave a little laugh of delight. "Jane, isn't it pretty?"

"Yes, it is." Jane's eyes looked over the pecan pie, glazed with something to make it look shiny and the beautifully scooped serving of toasted almond gelato on the side with a sprig of mint for color. "I'm sure it tastes just as wonderful as it looks." She glanced over to Carlene, who was watching them with narrowed eyes. "Is there something on your mind?"

Cocking her head up a bit and looking down her nose at the brunette across from her, Carlene frowned even deeper. "No," she said in a clipped tone, mindful of her husband's earlier warning. Her jaw clinched and unclenched with the effort of holding back her thoughts, but she couldn't stop herself from saying at least one thing. "Where is your other fork?"

"It looks as though they've forgotten we said we would share dessert." Maura picked up the fork and cut a bite of pie. "No matter, we are not the only people with that issue, I see." She nodded to Sharon who was dutifully feeding her husband a piece of apple cobbler. Giving a side glance to the petite blonde, Maura followed the pink clad woman's example, and presented the bite to Jane who could not hide her surprise but took the offered bite from the fork prongs. "How does that taste?"

"Most likely better because it comes from you," Jane quietly answered after swallowing the piece of pie.

"Can we get some extra forks over here?" Cricket's voice cracked out above the murmur of the crowd and caught most people's attention. The room fell silent and all eyes turned towards her. "Please?" She managed to croak out. A few eyebrows rose, and two gentlemen seated together at the end of the table both shook their heads in the negative. "I…uh," moving her hand quickly, she nonchalantly flipped a finger across the backend of her fork, causing it to tumble from the table and onto the ground, "dropped my fork. Besides," she said with a curl of her lips as she looked across the table, "some of us ordered an extra fork and didn't get it."

A server quickly appeared and asked who would like an extra utensil. Several people, including Jane, took one. "This is actually very," she paused and looked over to Maura as if she were trying to figure something out. Giving a shrug, she said with a small amount of defeat in her voice, "tasty."

"It is good," Maura nodded as they took turns between bites of pie and gelato. "I wonder if they would share their recipe for both? It's been a while since I've tried my hand at making gelato, but I think I might be able to make this."

"You can make gelato?" The detective's eyes sparkled with delight. "Is there anything you can't do? No, don't answer that. I don't want to know."

Maura blinked in confusion. "But of course there are plenty of things I can't do. As you well know, I'm not very skilled at…"

"You're plenty skilled at a lot of things, sweetie." Jane and Maura were letting their masks slip just a bit, and the women across the table had suddenly perked up to try to overhear the private conversation between them. "Besides, I just told you not to tell me. I like thinking you're perfect."

"Jane, I am not perfect." The honey brunette rolled her eyes.

"You've always been to me."

"Oh God, this is the dessert course, not the gag-me-with-sentimentality course," Cricket groaned. "Why don't you two just get a room?"

"We have a room," Jane answered, her mask falling back into place.

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about." Cricket continued on, ignoring her husband's hand as it gave a squeeze to her leg to remind her to cool herself. "You two have been acting like a couple of teenagers in heat ever since the clothing drive. It's shameful."

"Teenagers in heat?" Despite the detective's voice dropping in tone, her face remained passive. "Really?"

"There are a number of reasons why that analogy is inaccurate," Maura added, face as passive as Jane's. "However, I think I'll not address the poor analogy and, instead, address the thoughts behind it."

Setting her fork down to indicate both she and Jane were finished with their dessert, she promptly addressed both Cricket and Carlene. "Jane and I are neither teenagers nor 'in heat'. We are simply behaving as anyone in our situation would do. However, I find your behavior to be questionable." Perfectly styled honey brunette curls bounced as Maura moved to look both women in the eye. "You act as though there is something at issue where no issue exists. If you'd care to tell us what you find at fault, perhaps we could address the situation and move forward?"

Jane could hear Amanda mumble under her breath, "Here we go."

"The issue?" Carlene's eyes widened. "The issue is that you are flaunting your life of sin while you're supposedly supporting what is a good, Christian charity. How can you sit there and act like… like… that and then say you support something whose very foundation is set up on the word of the Good Lord who said that being that way is sinful?" Her voice rose by a degree as she declared, "It's… it's an abomination!"

In a much lower voice so as not to gain any more attention, Cricket added, "It's making our brand look bad. We have an image to maintain."

"You know all about images, don't you Cricket?" Jane shot back, her own elegantly shaped brow raising just a tad, daring the other brunette to take on the challenge.

"Of course I do," Cricket shot back. "I own several successful businesses."

"What, exactly, are you referring to when you say 'that way'?" Maura asked, voice calm but features daring the other women to say anything too controversial while ears were listening but acting as if they weren't.

Cricket rolled her eyes. "You can't be serious. That way, as in it's clear you two are lesbians. There's no need to rub it into our faces."

Jane snorted. "I wouldn't rub anything of mine in your…"

"Jane!" Maura cut her off with an actual hand to the detective's mouth. Jane's eyes narrowed, but she nodded, and, when Maura's hand was removed, the lanky brunette remained still. "Cricket, there is nothing wrong with being in a same sex relationship. There are any number of churches who accept us just as we are. In fact, the largest LGBT friendly church in the United States is located here in Dallas at the corner of Inwood and Cedar Springs."

"That's true," Gigi said, causing all four women to startle at the reminder that others were, in fact, listening in. "The Cathedral of Hope, right?"

Maura nodded. "Yes, that's correct. Besides the fact that there are differing Christian dogmas on homosexuality, there is a very strong argument that can be made that some things in the Bible are no longer followed, even by the more devote followers, and should, therefore, be reexamined for the sake of validity. You, yourself, Carlene, break many rules listed in the Bible."

The petite blonde huffed. "Well, I never…"

Jane and Maura took turns listing with an even, dispassionate tone, points which countered Carlene's protest. Jane started and Maura followed.

"You speak in church. 1 Corinthians 14:34 says that's a big no. Women aren't supposed to speak in church."

"I've seen you teach or attempt to teach young men. 1 Timothy 2:12 forbids women from teaching men, any men."

"You wear blended fabrics, which, besides being less than fashionable, is forbidden according to Deuteronomy 22:11."

Maura nodded. "Most individuals refer to Leviticus 18:22 and Leviticus 20:13. However, the entire book is a code of conduct created prior to modern conveniences such as showers and sanitation, to prevent infections and disease. Were any one group in today's society to follow every single rule listed in Leviticus , there were be many more deaths and excommunications."

"In fact," Jane smoothly added, "if you are familiar with Scripture, as I know you are Carlene, Jesus says nothing at all regarding homosexual relationships. It can even be argued that he would not have had issue with them. In Matthew 8:5-13 Jesus saves the life of a Centurion's servant, but the Greek word used is 'pais."

The doctor added with a smile, "That word in the context of Greek culture during that period of time actually referred to either a young lover or an older, powerful, educated man. It did not mean 'servant' as is generally taught within church dogma. Also, the argument using Romans 1:18-32 where Paul supposedly professes that homosexual acts are sinful has been much taken out of context. If you read the entire portion in regards to what Paul is speaking on, you'll note he is actually referring to homosexual prostitution, which, I must say, is just as abominable as any prostitution should be viewed as being."

Tilting her head slightly, voice cold, Jane stated flatly, "We can go on, if you'd like."

Carlene blanched, her mouth forming a straight line as Gigi and Amanda hid smirks behind wine and water glasses, and the husbands watched with tense looks at the tennis match playing out before them. "No," the blonde stiffly replied. "I think you've said enough."

"As far as tarnishing a brand is concerned," Jane turned to Cricket, "the latest television shows, movies, and some of the most popular celebrities would indicate that having a token homosexual couple within your midst is actually in vogue."

"Yes, we could easily argue that having a lesbian couple as part of your representative party actually increases in a positive way your visibility for the charity." Maura tilted her head in consideration. "It is fashionable, though I would argue superficial, to have us with you, Cricket, for the sake of increasing your brand. I fail to see an issue."

Cricket and Carlene could only scoff.

"It's getting late," Jane said as she stood, not letting either woman respond. She helped Maura to stand, and offered her arm to the doctor as she spoke. "Maura and I should go. It's been a lovely evening."

"I've had a good time," Gigi said as she nodded, a smile playing on her face.

"Ladies," Ripp stood as did Blake.

"It's been an interesting evening," Blake added with a tight smile.

"Good night," Amanda said from her seat. "Have a safe trip back to your hotel."

"Thank you," both doctor and detective replied demurely before taking their leave, making certain to stop and thank Sharon for the evening.

Cricket and Carlene watched them go. With a growl, Cricket said, "They're not winning this."

"Cricket, honey, why don't we sleep on this?" Blake tried to calm his wife down a notch.

"Come on, Blake, we're going home." She stood, Blake following behind her but a good pace behind the other couple leaving. Cricket stopped just briefly to tell her friend, "Carlene, snap out of it, and call me when you get home. We have plans to make for tomorrow."

Somewhat slackjawed, the petite blonde nodded her understanding.

Amanda leaned over, motioning for her mother to do the same. Whispering, she said, "Momma, are they ready for this?"

Gigi smiled. "Darling, I think they were born ready for this."

 


	28. Chapter 28

"Oh my god," Jane bemoaned as they stepped into their hotel suite, "tomorrow we have to do that golf thing  _all day long,_ and we have to spend it with Carlene, Cricket, and… man," She pouted, hopping on one foot and then the other as she pulled her shoes off. "This is going to suck."

"Possibly," Maura agreed as she walked to the bedroom. "Bath?"

The detective stopped in her tracks, eyes lighting up. "Yes."

* * *

The warm heat of the water was soothing against their aching bodies. The tense, rigid positions they held during the course of the dinner had taken a toll on both of them, and the bath they were settling into was very welcome. Jane gave a contented hum as she felt Maura pull her closer, and she gave another contented hum at the feel of her back settling against the honey brunette's front along with the feel of Maura's arms wrapping firmly around her.

"I had no idea you purred," Maura whispered against Jane's ear.

"Hmm… what?" Jane shifted, placing her arms atop the ones wrapped about her and giving another happy hum.

Chuckling softly, Maura repeated herself. "I said I had no idea you purred, Jane."

"I  _do not_  purr," came the half-hearted protest.

"No, not as a feline would do, no." Placing a kiss against Jane's neck, the doctor smiled as Jane again gave another hum. "You obviously don't have the capabilities a feline has that allow them to make the noise we call a purr, and, though we associate purring with a sign of contentment from felines, that is actually not the case. However, I choose to go with the colloquial understanding of purring in this instance, and, I say again, that you, Jane, purr when you're content."

Jane sat up in the water and turned around to face the other woman. She took a moment to adjust to the feeling of front-to-front contact before finding her moment of irritation again and building up enough energy to object. Holding herself up so she could look down at the doctor, she protested, "I'm not a cat, Maura. I  _don't_  purr."

One perfectly sculpted eyebrow rose in challenge. "Really?"

"Yes, really." Jane gave a nod of her head as if to emphasize her point. "I'm not some kind of housecat."

"No, if I were to compare you to a feline of any type, a housecat would not be it." Maura tilted her head to the side, considering for a moment. "I think you would be an animal of prey. A lion or," green eyes widened in an 'ah ha' moment, "a tiger." She nodded. "You would be a tiger. Tigers are…"

She never finished the thought. Jane's lips stopped her in her tracks, and the feel of Jane's body settling atop her own left Maura's mind empty of any thought short of primal instincts and basic human intuition. Water splashing pulled her momentarily back into herself long enough for her whisper between kisses, "Bed. Now."

* * *

Maura ran her finger along the largest of the scars on Jane's back, lazily tracing the uneven line as she considered what might have happened if the bullet had been just an inch in any direction other than the path it actually took. She sighed, leaning over the detective who was face down in her pillow and still slightly out of it from their last happy romp. Nudging away some of the wild, dark hair with her nose, Maura kissed Jane's temple. Jane gave a long, contented hum.

"Fine," came an unexpected comment from the clearly exhausted detective, "so I purr."

"I love it when I win," Maura laughed as she turned off the light and returned to her side to pull Jane into her arms.

The only response she was given was a slightly irritated, "Yeah, yeah," along with a gentle, "Good night, Maura."

Smirking, the honey brunette kissed Jane's forehead and replied with, "Good night…  _tiger_."

* * *

"Those shorts really  _do_  look good on you, Jane." Maura's eyes ran over the lanky frame of the other woman, taking in the white visor, dark pink Brook's Brothers polo, crisp white shorts, and matching white canvas shoes. "And I've always had an appreciation for you in a ponytail."

"That so?" Jane smirked as she glanced to the reflection of Maura in the bathroom mirror before turning back to put the finishing touches on her makeup. "Why is that?"

"The only time I see you pull your hair up in that manner is when you're about to, as you so eloquently put it, kick some ass and take some names." The doctor smiled as she reached up to run her fingers through the perfectly styled ponytail in question. "I think it's an appropriate style for today."

"Careful," the detective warned as she turned to face the smaller woman. "You know what they say about catching a tiger by the tail." She couldn't stop the goofy grin that came along with the comment.

"That was an awful pun, Jane." The chastisement in Maura's voice was all for show. She was grinning just as much as the other woman. With a wink, she turned to leave the bathroom, asking on the way, "Are you ready, tiger?"

"Yeah, but, Maura, you really can't call me tiger in public." Jane trotted along to follow Maura out into the main area of the suit. "Okay?" Maura said nothing. She simply picked up her purse and car keys. "Maura?" Jane's voice was suddenly uncertain. "Sweetie?" The doctor opened the hotel door and walked out, still silent but with a mischievous smile on her face. Jane grunted in frustration. "Crap."

 


	29. Chapter 29

A well-manicured landscape complete with perfectly pruned trees, ideally planted flowers, and rolling hills and valleys with the occasional sand trap did very little to distract Jane from the fact it was 98 outside with a humidity around 48% and not a hint of shade anywhere in sight. She had to admit to herself that the golf course was pretty, but she wasn't convinced that playing golf in weather where a person could likely fry an egg on the hood of a car was a fanatic idea, even if it was for the sake of charity.

The small group of people following them from hole to hole had dwindled only slightly as the morning heated up, and she was surprised that more people weren't heading back inside. If it had been her, she'd have found an excuse to get into the air conditioning and out of the oven that was the Las Colinas Country Club's golf course.

Add on top of the fact that it was uncomfortably hot the fact that Amanda had an emergency with her children which kept her from coming to the event, and Gigi was inside at the bar mingling with the other smart people, and Jane found herself without much to do along with being hotter than she could ever recall.

After the previous night's dinner episode, Carlene and Cricket were giving Maura and Jane the cold shoulder, only speaking to them when they absolutely had to and keeping to themselves when they didn't have to say anything. That meant very little opportunity for anything remotely entertaining happening as Jane stood by with the golf bag. The highlight of her day so far, besides the cute little white outfit Maura was wearing, was driving the golf cart. She was bored and trying not to show it, which lead to her blanking out for long periods of time.

It was her determination to prove she and Maura could do anything Carlene and Cricket could do, and do it better, that kept her from her usual whining. Instead, she stood proudly behind and slightly to the right of Maura as they traversed the course. With little desire to talk to the two hired caddies, both of which were young enough to be her son and both of which were desperately trying to get her to talk to them, she spent her time watching Maura interact as a player and take opportunities as they arose to add in her own thoughts and get in small jabs at the other two women when they did decide to speak to them, which had only happened twice so far that day.

When they arrived at 7:30 that morning to play, Cricket had curtly informed them they would be playing the front nine, which was a relief. It meant a shorter game and less time spent in the oppressive Texas heat. However, at 9:30 in the morning with two holes left, the one they were playing and one more, Jane was starting to wonder if they could have played the first three holes and called it a day.

"Jane, would you like a sip?" Maura's voice pulled the detective from her thoughts and she refocused to find the smaller woman holding up a bottle of water.

Smiling, Jane took the bottle. "How did you know?"

Maura said nothing, simply smiled and asked for her putter.

As Maura settled into her putting stance, Jane checked the score card. Maura was in the lead by a substantial margin. "So much for not being much of a golfer," she muttered to herself.

"Ma'am?" The young, dark haired caddy for Carlene, Craig, asked her. "Did you say something?"

Tired, hot, bored, and needing a distraction, Jane decided to throw him a bone and answer. "Maura is winning."

"Yes, ma'am, she is. She's really pretty good," he whispered, stepping closer so as not to disturb the concentration of the golfers. "Her swing hooks a little, but not as bad as the other two ladies."

She shrugged. "She's a little out of practice."

"If that's a little out of practice," Craig said with audible respect in his voice, "I'd hate to see her in practice. I'm telling you, she's good enough to be a pro. Right, Danny?"

The young redheaded boy nodded, stepping closer as well. "I was just thinking that myself. Has she ever played professionally?"

"No idea." Jane narrowed her eyes as she watched Maura sink the put. Muttering more to herself than speaking to the two boys, she said, "I wonder if she's hustling them?"

"I wouldn't bet against it." Danny nodded. "She's just too good. Say," he turned to look at the tall brunette, "how do you know her anyway? I mean, most of the people who play here don't have friends be their caddy. They hire one of us. Did you lose a bet or something?"

She couldn't stop her chuckle. "Nope, I'm just whipped."

Again, Craig asked, "Ma'am?"

"She's my girlfriend," came the easy answer from Jane's lips both surprising herself and the boys at the same time. It was the first time she had claimed Maura as her significant other to a stranger, and the ease at which she did so stunned her for a moment. The boys, however, were stunned for a completely different reason.

"Girlfriend?" Danny blinked. "But you don't look like lesbians!" His voice rose just a touch, and a hard look from Craig quieted him down. "No offense."

"A lot taken, Danny," Jane answered as her eyes sparkled; Maura was headed her way. "You don't go around telling people they don't look straight, do you?"

"Well," he had the decency to look embarrassed, "no, of course not."

Jane nodded, glaring at the young man. "Then why would you tell me that I don't look like a lesbian? It's not like we have a visible mark somewhere, Danny, that says, 'Hi, I'm a lesbian."

"I guess maybe I shouldn't have said that," the redhead said, voice cracking a little with his embarrassment.

"Yeah, I'd say so," Jane nodded, turning to face Maura who had put a hand on her arm. "What club do you need next?"

"We're ready to move to the last hole." Nudging Jane to their golf cart, the honey brunette gave her a questioning side glance. Finally, as the detective started the cart up to follow Carlene and Cricket to the next hole, she asked, "Jane, did you tell those boys you were a lesbian?"

The importance of the question seemed to go by Jane unnoticed. "We were talking about your game. They say you're good enough to go pro, and I was wondering if you were hustling Carlene and Cricket. While we were talking about it, one of them asked me if I'd lost a bet because I was doing the caddy thing for you. I told them I was just whipped, and you were my girlfriend, and then," she glanced over to the other woman as the cart came to a stop at the next tee, "the redhead has the nerve to tell me we don't look like lesbians. What does that even mean?"

She hopped out, walked around to the other side, helped Maura out, and then grabbed the golf bag. "I mean, come on," despite the low volume of her voice, it was clear she was annoyed, "what kind of comment is that? Just because I don't have a mullet, wear flannel, and walk around humming KD Lang songs doesn't mean that I'm not," it suddenly hit her, and she stumbled, "I'm not… I'm… oh God." She took in a deep breath as her eyes went wide. "I'm a… you're a… we're…Oh. My. God." She swallowed hard. "We can't stay here after this hole."

"Clearly," Maura said, a small amount of concern playing on her features. "Driver, please."

* * *

 

Gigi's voice rose above the light hum of the others seated in the Anytime Lounge & Bar inside the clubhouse. Her bright laughter was easy to spot, and Jane and Maura had no issues finding her. "There they are!" Gigi gave a tip of her glass toward the women. "How was the game?"

"It went well, thank you," Maura smiled brightly.

"Maura won," Jane explained to the questioning look Gigi gave them.

"Good girl," the older woman nodded her approval. "Where are Cricket and Carlene?"

"I'm not sure," the tall brunette looked around. "They said something about needing to go shopping after the game. Actually," she gave an apologetic smile, "Maura and I need to head out, too."

Maura's look was equally apologetic. "Yes, we're terribly sorry, Gigi, but something important has come up while we were on the course, and I'm afraid it requires our immediate attention now that the game has concluded."

"Well, that's unfortunate, but I understand," Gigi stood to give them both a hug goodbye. "Call me if you need anything, and we'll see you tomorrow for dinner."

The doctor nodded. "We wouldn't miss it."

* * *

 

As the two younger women slid into their rental, Maura driving and Jane as a passenger, the detective began to allow herself the moment of panic she had not while on the golf course. "Oh my God," she said, voice pitched higher than usual, "I just told someone I'm a lesbian." Face draining of color, she leaned over as much as the seatbelt would allow, placing her face in her hands. "Holy crap, how did this happen? I mean, when did… I can't even… Ma's going to have a fit, and Father Michael… Oh my God."

As the realization of what, exactly, had changed in her life hit her full force, the detective crumbled. "I can't go back! They'll kill me or disown me or… I … we… oh crap, oh shit, oh God…"

Maura drove, not saying anything. She had wondered how long it would take for Jane to have this moment, and she was thankful that she had managed to hold off until the game was over. Concerned but unworried, she quietly waited out the storm of panic and fear as Jane worked through the past few days in her mind.

The drive back to the hotel was full of Jane's panic and Maura's calm but mute reassurance.

 


	30. Chapter 30

Jane paced the spacious living area of their hotel room, hands rubbing against each other as she let her jumble of thoughts fall from her mouth. "I can't believe I didn't," she shook her head, not completing one thought before another one rolled out. "All these years, I've always said I wasn't… I mean, sure, I've always found certain women attractive, and then there was  _you_ ," she gave a quick glance to Maura, who was seated calmly on the sofa.

The doctor said nothing. Instead, she silently watched the lanky brunette pace, occasionally sipping on a bottle of water. When Jane glanced at her, she only tipped her head to the side, acknowledging the comment but keeping her face passively neutral.

"Ma's going to blame you. She's going to say you turned me gay, but you  _didn't_. You didn't turn me gay. I mean I was… well, there have been times…  _shit._ " Jane ran a hand through her hair, flipping it so the part fell the opposite direction. "Just because I want to be with you doesn't make me… doesn't make me…" Giving up, she stopped pacing and turned to the woman on the sofa. Voice going up to indicate the next word was a question, she said the one thing Maura had not expected. "Straight?"

Maura couldn't help the chuckle that escaped. Between the lost and forlorn look on Jane's face and the almost pathetic sounding squeak in her voice as she finished her moment of panic, she was about as cute looking as Maura could ever remember seeing her. She covered her mouth with the back of her hand and cleared her throat to try and cover the chuckle.

"Come on!" Jane gave a stomp of her foot, throwing her arms out and down, palms up. "What are we going to do?"

Finally speaking, Maura's answer was unintentionally vague. "Whatever you'd like, Jane."

"Great," the detective rolled her eyes. "Fine. Whatever I like. Well, that'd be perfect if I knew what the fuck I wanted to do, now wouldn't it?"

At the word usage, the doctor frowned but refrained from correcting. There was a time and place. Now was neither. "Let me ask you a question." She waited for the nod of consent. Once given, she continued. " _Do_  you classify yourself, or do you really feel the need to classify yourself?"

Jane blinked. "You mean about my sexuality?" Maura nodded yes, and waited. After a moment of honest consideration, Jane answered her cautiously. "I try not to. You know all the crap I get at the station just for being a female detective. They call me everything from dyke to bitch. I hate that. I hate being defined by my gender." It was a surprisingly honest statement, but Jane didn't seem to notice that she'd made it.

"And I  _know_  I'm attracted to men. I really am. But, then, I'm  _also_ attracted to you." She shrugged, sighing heavily. "Okay, if I'm honest with myself, I'm attracted to  _women_. I  _am_ attracted to women." She repeated herself as if to affirm in her mind what she was saying aloud. Again, it was another surprisingly honest statement. "But, it's all different when it comes to women. I can appreciate a guy is good looking, and I'm fine with the sex, but I've always had a hard time picturing myself in a relationship with a guy. I have no issues picturing myself in a relationship with a woman, even if it's  _not_ you."

Jane winced at the admission, but Maura simply nodded her acceptance and waited. The detective chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, lost in thought. "I don't know. I don't know what that makes me. Does that make me a lesbian, or does that make me bi? I'm sure as hell not straight." She groaned, walking over and plopping down on the sofa next to the other woman. "You asked if I self-identify, right?" Again, Maura quietly nodded. "I think," Jane took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I think that, sexually speaking, I'm probably bi, but, on a personal, relationship level, I'm a lesbian." She leaned back on the sofa, closing her eyes as her head hit the top of the cushions. "Does that even make sense?"

"Yes," Maura's answer was quiet but firm. "Sexuality is a fluid thing, and, though I could site studies, I'll tell you my personal belief instead on the other subject at hand." Turning to face Jane, she took one sinewy hand in her own, causing Jane to finally look at her. "I feel that who you are emotionally attracted to does not necessarily correlate with who you are always sexually attracted to. They are not the same thing. If you can find a person – male, female, or whatever – that you are  _both_ physically attracted to  _and_ emotionally attracted to, then you've become a very fortunate person. If that person feels the same for you, then it goes beyond fortune into a realm of invaluable uniqueness that deserves nothing less than to be explored and nurtured."

She smiled gently. "I feel that way for you, Jane. I have for quite some time."

Dark brown eyes ran over the smaller woman, taking everything in. "Yeah?"

Maura's features soften, allowing her emotions to play on her face. "Yes."

Jane nodded, mostly to herself. "I feel that way about you, too."

"Then we will find a way to make it work." Maura leaned closer, eyes asking for permission to enter Jane's personal space.

The detective answered by leaning in and gently kissing the honey brunette. "I'll just have to tell Ma to look on the bright side."

Maura's eyebrow rose. "Which is?"

"I'm dating a doctor?" Jane shrugged as if to say 'it could work'. They chuckled. "It's going to take me a little time to settle, and, when we get back to Boston, I can't promise that I can act like nothing's happened here in Dallas."

"Good. I would rather you didn't because a great deal has happened here. I, for one, would rather walk back into our normal lives as a couple than separated as two people trying to hide something they might be ashamed of because, Jane," Maura leaned in and again kissed the detective. "I  _am not_  ashamed of you."

"Thank God," came the breathy reply. "You might change your tune the first time I do something stupid at a dinner with your big shot friends, though."

"I doubt it. Having you come with me to those events has started to be a highlight of my months. You bring something new and fun to them. I would rather have you at my side than know that nothing out of the ordinary was likely to happen." Standing, Maura pulled Jane up with her. "Why don't we shower and change? I don't know about you, but I'm hungry."

"Yeah, I could eat." Jane followed Maura into the master suite. "Could we go to IHOP?"

Maura stopped at the bedroom door. "Really? IHOP?"

Blushing, the taller woman stuck her hands in her pockets. "I'm in the mood for cheap coffee and pancakes."

"I'll agree this  _one_  time, but only because you're so adorable when you blush." The doctor winked, the detective blushed harder. "Come on, tiger, let's take a shower."

Without another word, Jane obediently followed Maura's directions.

 


	31. Chapter 31

"Coffee, lots of cream and sugar, a glass of water, and," Jane glanced over the menu one more time, "a stack of pancakes with a side of bacon."

Maura gave a hard look of disapproval before taking her turn. "Water, a chicken salad – grilled, please, Italian dressing on the side."

The waitress took the menus as she gave an apologetic look to the honey brunette. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but we're all out of Italian."

"That's a shame," Maura glanced to the woman across from her. "I love Italians." She smirked at the Italian's blush. "I'll take a small bowl of lemons instead. Thank you."

"Sure thing, I'll be right back with y'all's drinks." With a practiced smile and ease, the waitress stepped away to fetch coffee and water.

"You like Italians, huh?" Jane rolled her eyes but smirked. "That explains Giovanni."

"Yes, and you," the doctor countered, not missing a beat. She glanced around the restaurant taking in the pop culture inspired decorations and the clean feel before turning back to her companion. "This appears to be one of the newer versions for this chain. It has a certain charm to it."

"Yeah, I googled it before we left, and the others close by were kind of old and in sketchy neighborhoods. Plus, I figured we'd be less likely to get lost if we just stuck with 75." The detective quieted as the waitress brought their drinks and poured her coffee. Thanking the woman before she stepped away, Jane started to add cream and sugar. "So, anyway, I've been thinking," she stopped when she saw the look of disbelief on the other woman's face. "What?"

"You rarely plan ahead." Maura tipped her head to the side, a sign of consideration. "I believe this is where I should say that I'm worried." She smiled.

Jane rolled her eyes. "Funny." Waving her hand in the air to dismiss the comments, she continued on. "No, but, seriously, I've been thinking about this whole self-identifying thing." At Maura's look of concern, she held her hand up. "I know, it's only been twenty minutes, but I've been thinking about this for a long time, like my entire life, and I think," she blushed, "that I really self-identify as," a Rizzoli grin spread across her face, "awesome."

Maura went from a chuckle to an all-out laugh. Throwing a wadded paper towel at Jane, she rolled her eyes before settling back down into a more serious mode. "So you feel you'll be fine?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Jane reached out across the booth and took Maura's hand in her own, leaving their joined hands visible where they rested on the table. "I just had to freak out for a little bit."

"I know." Glancing at their hands, Maura smiled. "I do not disagree."

Clearly confused, the dark haired brunette asked, "With what?"

"You  _are_ awesome."

* * *

"I don't know what Cricket and Carlene are planning, but I smell a trap at tomorrow's dinner." Jane smiled as she smoothed the butter over her pancakes.

"Perhaps," Maura tried not to look as unhappy with the other woman's food choice as she actually felt. "However, I don't see a way to prepare."

"Yeah, neither do I, and I hate that. I don't like going into a situation blind. I learned my lesson on that the first time." The detective's hand flexed as she set the syrup down on the table. Looking for a distraction from the unpleasant memory, she let her eyes roam the restaurant only to find a familiar face. "Hey, isn't that the pastor from the church?"

Maura turned to see a blonde haired, blue eyed man wearing a polo shirt and jeans just sitting down. "Yes, I believe it is. His name is Pastor John Tudor."

"I have an idea. Hold on a second." Jane stood, pushed her plate next to Maura's and then walked over to where the pastor had just been seated. "Excuse me," she said, trying not to sound too annoying, "but you're the pastor from Gigi's church, aren't you?"

"Why yes I am." He looked up, offering a welcoming smile. He held his hand up, "Pastor John Tudor. You're one of the ladies that's come down to help with Carlene's charity foundation, aren't you?"

"Yeah," she took his offered hand, giving it a strong shake. "Detective Jane Rizzoli, and the woman over there," she turned to motion, "is Doctor Maura Isles." She narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out the best way to ask him what she wanted to know. Seeming to settle, she offered, "Listen, if you'd like some company, Maura and I wanted to offer you a spot at our table if, you know, you're okay with eating with us. I know some people have issues breaking bread with…"

"Those people need to better understand the teachings of Christ." He stood up, making eye contact with his server to let her know he was moving. "He said to love each other, and I believe in that." He motioned for her to lead the way.

Jane slid into the booth next to Maura, who threw her a questioning look but scooted over to accommodate as the pastor took the opposite side.

"Pastor Tudor, it's a pleasure to see you again. Your sermon last Sunday was very well done," Maura offered by way of greeting.

"Thank you," his smile was easy. "To be honest, I wasn't sure anyone was listening."

Jane snorted. "Maura listens to everything, and she  _never_ forgets anything. She's a walking Wikipedia."

"Jane, as we've discussed before, Wikipedia is a poor source of information. It is not rigorously peer reviewed, and information is often wrong, misleading…"

"Or it calls a tortoise a turtle or something. Yeah, yeah… I got it, sweetie," Jane gave the man across from them an apologetic look.

He chuckled. "You two are cute together."

"Thanks," came the low and mumbled reply from the dark haired brunette. She waited for him to order and settle his coffee before she started the conversation again. "So, Pastor Tudor, I was wondering if maybe you could help us out?"

"In what way?" His face turned genuinely concerned. "If you're seeking counseling for something…"

"No," Jane shook her head, "No, no, no, Maura and I are good. In fact, we're great. Aren't we?" She turned to the other woman. "We're great, right?"

"Yes, tiger, we're fine," Maura answered, voice deadpan serious, though she winked at the pastor as she answered.

He smiled and shook his head. "Okay, then how can I help you ladies?"

The detective squared her shoulders, held up three fingers, and said, "Three words: Carlene and Cricket."

"Oh boy," he took in a big breath. "Now, I have to tell you that I served two tours in Iraq, and those two ladies scare me just a little."

"You?" Jane snorted. "I arrest murderers and have been known to take down raging drug addicts." She rolled her eyes. "I've collared  _serial killers_ , and those two scare the piss out of me."

"Jane, not while we're eating," Maura rebuked in a quiet voice.

"Sorry," came the half annoyed response. "Look, Pastor Tudor, I'm not asking you to sell out your flock or anything, but we need an upper hand. They're planning something. I just know it. They went 'shopping' after the golf game today, and we sort of ticked them off at dinner last night."

"Yes, I heard about that." He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "The local gossip ring is quick to call attention to things such as that. But what do you want from me?"

The detective narrowed her eyes. "Intel."

Maura's eyes widened and she perked up. "Oh, I see. What an interesting plan. Pastor Tudor," she turned to the man, "if you could give us some insights on their behavioral patterns, we would greatly appreciate it."

He winced, pulling at his polo shirt's collar. "I don't know about that, ladies. Maybe you two should pray on it? See what divine inspiration comes to you? The Lord will give you what you need if you just ask."

"I asked. He said to talk to you." Jane smirked.

"I… I don't think I should be involved in this." He held his hands up. "Now, if you two are seeking something else, something related to your faith, then I'm happy to help you, but I don't want to do anything that… well, let's just say it is often better to turn the other cheek."

Jane growled in frustration. "No one knows you're here. No one knows we're here. No one knows who we are. Without your collar on, you just look like a metro, possibly gay, guy hanging out with his lesbian couple friends. It's the perfect cover. We'll never tell where we got the intel from, and we'll be back in Boston in a few days. If there was  _ever_  a good time to tell someone about your congregation's behavior, short of revealing things you can't under penalty of having your collar yanked, now's the time."

He looked from the detective to the doctor, who only raised her eyebrows and shrugged as if to say 'she's right'. "I won't lie, Detective. You know that goes against everything I believe in," he said before taking a thoughtful sip of his coffee.

"I'm not asking you to, Pastor. I'm only asking you to tell me a little about the personality of some of your congregation. It isn't anything you wouldn't say to any detective who was asking you questions."

He considered it for a long moment. "You have as long as it takes us to finish our meal, but, let me make myself perfectly clear, I will not speak ill of anyone, and I will not give you private information."

"Perfect," Jane's eyes sparkled. "I finally get to do some work."

"Easy tiger, remember he's doing this as a favor. Please be kind." Maura placed a hand on the other woman's thigh giving it a squeeze.

"No, it's cool. I'll go easy on him." With a look to give reassurance to her girlfriend, Jane turned back to the blonde man across the table and started the interrogation.


	32. Chapter 32

"Maura, wake up," Jane nudged the honey brunette next to her, gaining a grunt of disapproval from the nearly asleep woman. "Come on," she whined, scooting up to wrap a lanky arm around a warm waist, pulling the smaller frame to her own and placing a kiss against Maura's ear. "You promised."

"Jane, it's 6:30 in the morning. The park opens at 10:30. We have plenty of time." Maura rolled over, half open eyes giving the best death glare they could through the fog of sleep that still surrounded her. "You kept me up until 11:30 last night. I believe some more sleep is in order."

"First of all," a Rizzoli smile flashed across the detective's face, "I didn't hear you complaining about our afternoon and night last night." At Maura's eye roll, Jane pushed it a little. "In fact, the  _only_ thing I remember hearing you say is 'more' and 'yes' and the occasional 'oh God, Jane', so I don't think you can complain about how we spent our time yesterday." She winked at the slight blush on the other woman's face. "Second of all, you  _promised_. You know we have to be at that dinner with Carlene, Cricket, and the rest of the Dallas Despots at 7:30 tonight. So, if we want to get ready, eat breakfast, and have prime park time, then we need to get up now."

Maura gave her best pout, scooting closer to Jane to wrap her arms around the other woman and snuggle in. "But, tiger, I'm  _sleepy_. Can't we spend just a little while longer in bed? It's comfortable here, and you can't tell me you don't enjoy it."

"Oh, I enjoy it," Jane conceded as she wrapped her arms tighter and gave a hum of contentment at the feeling of their nude bodies pressed against each other, "and I intend to enjoy it as often as I can, but you said we could go, and I've been looking forward to this  _all week_. This and the steak is the only thing that's kept me from stealing a car and driving back to Boston."

In the best deadpan Maura had ever managed, she replied, "I thought you were staying to be the best Texas High Socialite in the state."

Jane growled. "You get three seconds to get in there and start the shower before I find that super ticklish spot on you again."

"Fine, but I get to pick where we go for breakfast," Maura huffed and slid out of bed, enjoying the feel of Jane's eyes on her as she stretched and then walked to the bathroom.

"I could definitely eat something," Jane remarked, eyes going dark.

"Easy tiger, shower first, eating later." The doctor smirked. "We have to go to the park, remember."

Making a face, Jane crossed her arms and pouted, "Yeah, yeah…"

* * *

"Okay, already!" Jane batted her hands in front of her to block the assault from the shorter woman. "I have enough sunscreen. I think I'm covered, sweetie. Our money is secure. Our IDs are secure. I finally get to wear a tank top and shorts. You look cute in a tank top and shorts. We know where we're going, and it's 8:30. We need to go so we can eat and get to the park."

"Did you get the back of your neck and your ears?" Maura reached up to run a sunscreen covered finger over Jane's ears, causing the taller woman to shudder. "If you were to get a sunburn just before tonight and tomorrow's major charity event, all our work to irritate Carlene and Cricket will have been for nothing."

"Yes! Will you," one sinewy hand shot up to grab and hold the doctor's while the other again batted the air, "stop! I've got it. We're good. We'll throw the sunscreen in our bag, and we'll reapply. I  _promise_. Now, can we  _please_  go? I'm hungry, I need caffeine, and the park opens in two hours."

"Yes, let's go. I was thinking we could eat at Pioneer Restaurant. It's just a few blocks from the park, it's a small, family run establishment, and it has high marks from local patrons. How does that sound?" Without bothering to hear the answer, Maura walked into the main living area to pick up their bag and the car keys.

"Sounds great!" Jane followed behind, mind already on food. "I want a waffle, and some eggs, and some coffee, and some bacon, and some…"

"Jane." A cocked eyebrow informed the detective that she may be listing too much.

Pouting, Jane finished with, "… and we'll figure it out when we get there." Holding the door open, she waited and then followed to the car.


	33. Chapter 33

The line to buy tickets was already long as the two women approached the main gate of the theme park. Eyeing it, Jane let out a groan and rolled her eyes in frustration. "First, we pay thirty dollars to park, and now we're going to have to wait at least thirty minutes in line to get the tickets. Man," she stopped at the end of one of the long lines, "this bites."

"First of all," Maura spoke quietly as she wrapped an arm around Jane's, ignoring the glances from the people around them, "we paid for  _valet_  parking, or would you have rather parked in the far lot and then taken the trolley to get to the front gate?"

The detective let out a little huff of air. "No."

"Second of all," reaching into their bag, the honey brunette pulled out two pieces of paper, "I bought tickets online three days ago in preparation for coming here today, and I printed them while you were finishing up in the bathroom this morning, so we don't have to wait."

Jane's eyes light up, a huge dimpled smile brightening her face as she turned to pull Maura to her and plant a kiss on the doctor's lips. "Sweetie, you are the  _best_."

Laughter bubbled up from the smaller woman's chest. "I'm glad you think so. Now, let's go inside so they can check our bag and we can take in the park."

Giving a curt nod of her head as she released the doctor but kept a hand on the small of her back, Jane turned to the entry gates. "Yes." She maneuvered them through the crowd, catching the eye of a group of teenaged boys who were blatantly staring at the two women. "What are  _you_  looking at?" She snapped at them, full cop mode in her voice. Eyes growing wide, they suddenly had somewhere else,  _anywhere_ else, to look to rather than at the women. "That's what I thought."

* * *

Standing in front of the large fountain that only served to underscore the gigantic carousel surrounded by greenery behind it, the two women pulled out their map to decide which direction to take first. Groups of people – teenagers, families, and couples – roamed around doing the same thing the doctor and detective were. Laughter, light chatter, and snarky remarks could be heard floating about, and the air buzzed with the hum of a large group of excited people ready for a day they were hoping to fully enjoy.

Maura's eyes narrowed as she held the map out, smiling at the feel of the taller woman's hands about her waist as Jane looked over her shoulder. "Hmmm… Mexico & Spain or USA & Looney Tunes first?"

"You know, I'm not sure I appreciate the fact that they grouped the US with anything named 'looney'. I mean, I feel like they're trying to say something here." The brunette snorted. "Besides, it looks like Looney Tunes is more for the kids. I say, we go to Mexico and hit up the ship thing, the snake thing, and maybe the hat thing."

"The Conquistador, La Vibora, and El Sombrero, Jane," Maura chided, perfectly pronouncing the Spanish words.

"Yeah, that's what I said. Ship thing, snake thing, hat thing!" Jane gave a little squeeze to the waist in hands. "Let's go before the lines start to get ridiculous."

Maura nodded, stepping to the side and again wrapping her arm around the lanky brunette's beside her. "We wouldn't have to worry about that if you'd allowed us to get Flash Passes."

"Okay, see?  _This_  was what I was talking about in the car," Jane walked them through the crowd, heading to the left of the carousel, past the rental lockers, and into an area built to take on the look and feel of Mexico in the 1800s. "Part of the theme park experience is waiting in the lines. Flash Passes are  _cheating_." Shaking her head at Maura's exasperated sight, she glanced to their left and grinned. "Hey, it's the hat! Let's go ride it."

" _Sombrero_ , the ride is called and resembles a traditional Spanish," Maura stopped talking, jaw clenching slightly.

"Traditional Spanish  _what_?" Smirk firmly planted on her face, Jane pulled them into a very short line for the ride in question. "It's a  _what_ , Maura."

The doctor sighed. "Hat, tiger. It's a hat," came the resigned response.

"Yeah,  _just_  like I said." With a laugh, the detective bent to place a kiss on the smaller woman's cheek.

* * *

"Hey, this snake thing holds up to four people, but do you think they'd just let us in one of the cars alone?" Jane shifted impatiently from foot to foot while they waited their turn to get on the ride. As they stood behind the gates on the loading dock, she looked around at the other people also standing, talking, and waiting. "I mean, they let that couple do that a few turns ago."

"I don't think they'll have an issue." Maura turned around to face Jane. "This ride is rather… intimate. I believe it was once called the Bobsled, and I can see why. There are no seat restraints, and the riders sit on a bench in the center of the car. The position of straddling the bench to face forward while having one's back to another's front and, given the gravitational forces at work on this ride, I would rather not ride with anyone else in the car other than you."

Jane shuddered. "Yeah, I'd rather not sit between the legs of some nasty, sweaty, guy who can't keep his hands to himself."

"Date Ride," came a lighthearted, baritone voice from behind them. "When I was a teenager, we used to call the Bobsled the Date Ride because, when we took our dates to Six Flags, we'd  _always_ ride this ride for that  _exact_  reason. It was a good way to cop a couple of cheap thrills on your date where no one could catch you and with the excuse you were just holding on to them because of the ride. No idea what the kids call it now days, though."

The women turned to find an average height, lean man with clear blue eyes, short light brown hair, and a hint of a sunburn already setting on his pale face smiling back at them. "Jason," he held his out. "This is Joe."

The man behind and slightly next to him smiled broadly. He was taller than Jason and more muscular with broader shoulders and dark brown hair. His striking brown eyes shown out even against his lightly tanned skin, and his voice was deeper and a bit richer. "Hi." He gave a wave hello.

"Date Ride, huh?" Jane smirked, looking over to doctor. "That makes sense." She turned back to the men. "Jane," she offered her hand to Jason. "And this is Maura." The woman in question gave a wave of her own hello. "I take it you two come here a lot or something?"

"When I was a kid, this is where I spent my summers," Jason shrugged. "But I haven't been here in over five years. Joe and I decided to come today because we both took the day off work."

The lanky brunette chuckled. "Playing hooky, are you?"

"Jane," Maura chastised quietly.

The men only laughed. "Yeah," Joe nodded. "We haven't spent enough time away from our jobs. You know, sometimes you just have to take some time and spend it with the people that count. Work will be there when you get back."

"I completely understand that." Jane nodded, giving both men an approving look. "We've never been here before. You two have any suggestions?"

"If you like rollercoasters," Joe offered with an honest smile, "I really like the Titan. It's a steel coaster, so there's less being thrown all over the place, and it has this really great g force turn."

"Oh, that  _does_ sound like fun!" Maura gave a bounce as she looked up to Jane. "We have to ride that."

Jason gave a thoughtful look to his friend, who nodded in return. "That's actually our next major stop. Would you two like to join us?"

"Oh, we don't want to intrude on your day," the doctor said, trying not to sound excited at the idea of making new friends. "If you two came to spend quality time with each other, we'd hate to keep you from it."

Joe shook his head in the negative. "Six Flags is better in groups of four. Besides, you two have never been here. You need tour guides, and Jason and I are the men for the job!"

"Yeah," Jane shifted uneasily, running a hand across the back of her neck. "Look, that's really nice of you guys, but you should probably know that Maura and I aren't interested in picking anyone up while we're here."

"Neither are we," Joe said, a chuckle in his voice.

Rolling her eyes at Jane, Maura asked the men, "How long have you two been together?"

Jason smiled, "A little over two years. You?"

"That's a complicated question, but, technically, it's just been a few days. However, we've known each other for years," Maura answered as she laid her head against Jane's shoulder. "One could argue we have been platonically dating for, at the very least, the past few months."

"Are you kidding me?" Jane grunted, rolling her eyes in frustration. "I have the worst gaydar of anyone I know."

"It's Joe," Jason said as he gave the man behind him an affectionate nudge. "He throws everyone's gaydar off. He's too butch to be gay." He winked.

"Please," Joe rolled his eyes, "It's really Jason. He has some kind of anti-gaydar system on him. He's the least gay gay man I've ever seen." They both chuckled.

"I suppose you don't exactly fit the stereotypes," Maura said as she glanced behind her to see that she and Jane were the next in line. "There's nothing wrong with that, of course."

"There's nothing wrong with fitting a stereotype, either." Jason shrugged. "I mean, they're stereotypes for a reason."

"No, I'm  _not_  the guy," Jane grumbled. "At least, if I am, I'm  _not_ in charge."

"Clearly," Joe said with another chuckle as Maura gave her a hard look. "Hey, you two are up. Wait for us just outside the exit?"

"Yeah, we'll see you two there." Jane waved them off as she sat down with her back against the back of the seat, legs straddling the bench.

Maura stepped daintily into the car and settled between Jane's legs, smiling broadly as she rested her head on the other woman's chest. "We made new friends!"

"Yup," the detective nodded as she wrapped her arms around the honey brunette, "and this ride is awesome."

"We haven't started it yet," Maura protested and then gave a little gasp of surprise as Jane nipped at her neck.

" _Wait until the ride starts!"_  Joe's voice cracked through the murmur of the crowd, amusement clear in his voice.

Maura laughed, Jane blushed, and the ride started with a jolt, causing the detective's arms to tighten around the smaller woman's waist in a protective motion.


	34. Chapter 34

"I know what you're thinking," Joe said as the four of them strolled out of Mexico and into Texas, "but we  _have_  to ride the Yosemite Sam ride. Yeah, it's a kids' ride, but it's just so much fun!."

"Besides," Jason added with smile, "who  _doesn't_  want to live in a cartoon?"

"I can't say that I would, actually. The physics represented in most cartoons labeled as 'Looney Tunes' and created by Warner Brothers during the," Maura was cut off by a kiss from her girlfriend.

"You'll have to excuse her. She's a walking Wikipedia." Jane shrugged.

Maura frowned. "We've been over this, Jane. Wikipedia is a terrible source of information. It's not rigorously peer reviewed, and the information is often misleading or completely incorrect."

"We've already done that routine, sweetie," Jane said with a wink to the boys.

Joe chuckled. "You two run through this routine a lot?"

"All the time." Jane nodded as they took a right to walk down the street attempting to recreate the look and feel of the old west, complete with a steeple church and arcade style shooting games lining the road. "She googlemouths. I pretend to understand what she says. She gets mad at me. I take whatever it is she decides I deserve for being hard headed." She wrapped her arm around the slightly offended doctor. "But it's all good. I think her smarts are one of the most attractive things about her."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, tiger." Despite her protest, the doctor was smiling and a faint blush crept up her neck.

"Tiger? As in Tiger Woods?" Jason tilted his head in question.

"No," Jane stopped in front of one of the arcade games, a shooting style like some of the others. Various dummies, bottles, and such were lined up in a scene meant to represent a saloon. A laser rifle was used to hit the targets marked on each item and/or dummy in the scene set up. "Not exactly. Hey, would you guys mind if I took a crack at this game?"

"Who are we to stop you from impressing your girlfriend?" Joe winked. Jason rolled his eyes.

With a smirk and a knowing look toward Maura, Jane popped a few coins into the slot marked for the rifle she had just picked up. She waited for the lights to come on to indicate the game was in action, took aim, and promptly hit every single target in the scene. Bells sounded, whistles blew, and the dummy dressed as a cowboy looked even more surprised as his hat went flying off of his head. "Aim's a little off on this thing," Jane commented as she set it back down. "Had to shoot a little to the right to actually hit the targets straight on."

"Yes, I noticed you were holding the rifle a bit off from your normal stance," Maura nodded, giving the rifle a funny look. "Your accuracy rate is, as usual, impeccable."

The detective beamed, turning to the men. "That's because I'm awesome. Anyway, you guys ready for that cartoon ride?"

"Okay, I know we're from Texas, but I've  _never_  seen someone shoot like that." Jason's eyes were wide with surprise. "Where did you learn to  _shoot_  like  _that_?"

"Jane and I are actually from Boston," Maura offered with a sly smile.

"And I learned to shoot like that at the academy," Jane finished.

"The academy?" Jason gave a nod as he tried to process. "What academy?"

"The police academy." Jane decided to throw them a bone. "I'm a detective for the Boston PD, homicide."

"You're a police officer!" Joe's face light up in an 'ah-ha' moment. "A detective? How fascinating. I bet you have some interesting stories to tell."

Jane shrugged. "It has its moments."

"I'll bet," he nodded and then turned to Maura. "What do you do?"

"I'm the Chief Medical Examiner for the Common Wealth of Massachusetts," she answered with a note of pride in her voice.

Jason blinked. "So you're a doctor?"

The honey brunette nodded. "Yes, I am."

"Oh! So you two must work together, right?" Joe nodded for the group to start walking toward the next ride on their list. "You must see each other all the time."

"Yeah," Jane nodded, trying to avoid the inattentive teenagers standing in their way as they made their way over the blacktop to the wooden structure that created the waiting line for Yosemite Sam's adventure. "That's how we met."

"Okay," Jason made a gesture for the women to walk first into the line. They settled into their spot in the queue before he continued, "that makes sense. I met Joe at a play we both went to." He thought for a moment, and added, "We don't work together. I'm a CPA and Joe's a real estate agent."

"If you two ever decide to move down here, I'm your man. The condos in Downtown Dallas are going for a great price right now," Joe waggled his eyebrows. "I'd be happy to show you a couple."

"No," Jane said a little too quickly. "I've already had that offer once, and, like I said last time, we're happy in Boston."

"Oh? Who got to you first?" The tall man almost sounded offended.

Maura sighed. "Heather Cruz."

"She's a vulture. Take my word for it," Joe leaned in as if he was sharing a secret, "she's only where she is because she's friends with a lot of those desperate housewives in Highland Park that don't have anything better to do with their time than gossip about the neighbors and  _not_ practice what they preach. She gets the hookup because she knows all their dirty little secrets." He stood straighter again. "I don't work that way. I've gotten where I am through hard work, dedication to my customers, and a lot of trial and error." He seemed to take a mental count of five before he added, "How did you run into her?"

"Unlucky draw of the straw," Jane answered before Maura could. "Anyway, enough about Highland Park, our jobs, and whatever. We came here to have a good time." They moved a little in the line. "What do you guys think about the Texas Giant?"

Joe made a face. "It's loud, rough, fast, and bigger than it looks."

Jason's smile turned mischievous. "That's what  _she_ said."

Jane snorted and then outright laughed.

Maura looked confused. "No, that's what Joe said."

"No, sweetie, it's a joke. See… okay…" Jane gave the men an apologetic look. "Maura's not really up on pop culture jokes."

"But, Jane, I don't understand why that's…  _oh_." Maura's eyes grew a bit wider. "Because, if we were talking about a man's pe…"

" _Thank you_  and yes," the detective cut her off, placing a finger over the smaller woman's lips. "She's also a little bit literal. It makes her amazing at her job, but sometimes she misses things."

The doctor pulled away from Jane's hand. "I  _do not_  miss things. I've  _very_ thorough, Jane. You've said so yourself. I never miss a spot."

" _And_  that's what  _she_  said," Joe snarked under his breath.

"Yes, she does," Maura winked, throwing her own mischievous grin toward Jane, "Often."

At the laughter from the other three, Jane's face furiously blushed a deep crimson. "Oh my God, Maura!"


	35. Chapter 35

"No," Jane shook her head slowly back and forth as she stared up at the tower in front of her. "There is  _no way_  you're getting me on that ride. No, it's not happening."

"Jane," Maura shot the two men an apologetic look as she ran a soothing hand along her girlfriend's arm, "it's perfectly safe. The straight vertical drop is well controlled, and it looks to be going only," she turned to watch a cart rush ground ward as she clearly calculated something in her mind, "approximately 45 miles per hour."

"Oh, yeah, that's  _perfectly_  safe." The detective rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in front of her. "Forget it, Maura. I  _am not_  riding a ride that is over 30 stories tall, has your legs dangling in the middle of the air just  _drops you_. No."

"Uh-oh," Joe stage whispered to Jason, "Trouble in Lesbian Paradise."

"Maybe we should go find them a couple of sets of boxing gloves or something?" Jason gave a side glance to his partner, but his voice gave clear the challenge he was throwing out in his suggested meaning. "That's what they do, right? Box or Roller Debry or something?"

"I think so. I guess if you're hitting things or rolling over things," Joe said, a dare in his eyes, "you just don't get up the nerve to go on something like the Superman ride."

Jason nodded. "Ah, yes , very true."

"Hey!" Jane snapped, "I know what you two are doing, and you can stop it. It's not going to work. I'm  _not_  getting on that thing." She pointed up at the tower.

"Okay tiger," the honey brunette shifted onto the heels of her feet and crossed her arms. "We can either do this the easy way or the hard way."

Narrowing her eyes, Jane firmly replied, "No."

"Okay, fine," a smug expression crossed the doctor's face and she glanced over to the men, giving them a quick wink. "If you don't go on this ride with me, then I can think of a few things you  _won't_  be riding when we get back to the hotel room."

Both men let out sounds of amusement as Jane's face colored and her jaw dropped. " _REALLY?"_

"You know I can't lie, Jane." Maura raised an eyebrow as she waited. "Well?"

Giving a grunt of frustration, the lankier of the two women turned toward the line. "When I throw up, I hope it hits all of you," she growled as she stepped into line behind a couple of preteens who were excitedly waiting their turn.

Joe laughed, "Well played, Maura."

"Thank you. I have my moments," she answered as she slid into line behind Jane.

"Weird," Jason said, leaning against the chains that marked off the path for the waiting line, "I suddenly have a craving for  _whipped_  cream."

"Shut up," Jane shot back, hunching her shoulders and throwing the rest of the group a few dirty looks.

* * *

"Oh. My. God." Jane's eye grew large, and her face took on the expression of a young child who had just discovered they had received the present of their dreams. "It's Gotham City."

Joe nodded. "Pretty cool, huh? Batman and the gang hangout over by the Looney Tunes area, but the Batmobile, Gotham City Park, and the ice cream factory Mr. Freeze liked to frequent are all here."

"I… I love this place." The tall brunette looked around at the carnival style games, taking in the store fronts with signs like 'Gotham City Police' and 'Arkham Asylum'. Her smile widened.

"I didn't know you liked Batman," Maura's head tilted a little in consideration.

"Are you kidding me?" Jane's eyes swung back around to the shorter woman. "He's the  _ultimate_  detective, and he's got all these cool gadgets, and neat sidekicks, and he doesn't have to worry about stupid stuff like the IA, and he totally kicks ass. He's my own personal comic book hero. I wanted to  _be Batman_  when I grew up."

"Well, you  _are_  a detective," Jason said as he pointed to the back of the section to get them moving toward the Batmobile, Gotham Gardens, and the Batman rollercoaster, "So I guess you're half way there, right?"

"No," Jane said, a hint of mopiness in her voice, "if  _I_  ran around in latex and body armor while taking out bad guys, they'd just lock me up for finally losing it. Well, they'd lock me up _after_ they took a bunch of pictures. The guys at work are a bunch of perverts." She shrugged. "But," she smirked, stopping in front of the Batmobile and slowing reaching out to touch it, a reverent expression on her face, "I  _do_ get to tell the punk asses that I collar when they ask me who I am," she pulled her hand back, a satisfied expression on her face, "I'm the god damned detective that's taking your ass in. I'm  _Detective Rizzoli_." She shrugged, "Not as good as 'I'm the god damned Batman', but still."

Both men looked amused and somewhat impressed. "Nice," Jason said with a chuckle.

"I'd be scared," Joe nodded.

Maura was frowning. "I never knew you used such language when you were out in the field."

"You should hear what they say to me, sweetie. Trust me, that's tame." Jane reached out to pull the smaller woman into a hug. "Don't be mad."

"No, it's fine," the doctor said as she returned the hug. "Your job scares me sometimes."

"I know; it scares me, too. But," the detective pulled away, "hey, enough of that. We have a Batman to ride. Wait," she winced, "that came out wrong. I mean, we should ride Batman." Another wince. "No! Man! Okay, what I MEANT to say was…"

"Come on, tiger, before you choke on your foot," the honey brunette took Jane's hand and led her into line with the men following closely behind, chuckling along the way.


	36. Chapter 36

The giant carousel turned slowly, children and adults alike laughing and enjoying the light breeze that rustled their hair as the beautifully painted horses and colorfully decorated benches turned endlessly to the light music one associates with the carnival.

In one of the few benches, Maura and Jane sat side-by-side with Joe and Jason across from them. Each person snuggled in with their respective partner and took a moment to just enjoy the slow down before they would all have to leave the park and go their separate ways. Jane smiled as she wrapped her arm around Maura, feeling more than seeing the smaller woman nestle against her. The detective glanced across the way to see their positions mirrored with Jason leaning comfortably against Joe, who gave Jane a wink.

"Thanks for letting us hang out with you two today," Jane broke the easy silence.

"Hmmm, yes," Maura nodded lazily, "we had a lovely time, didn't we Jane?"

"Best time I've had in public had since I got here," the lanky brunette agreed.

"Well, we're glad you two decided to keep us company," Jason smiled. "If you ever come back down here, you'll have to give us a call and maybe we can do something else?"

"Maybe a baseball game?" Joe tilted his head in thought. "If you like sports?"

Jane smirked. "Is Elton John fabulous?"

Joe laughed. "I'll take that as a yes."

Maura slowly sat up as the ride came to an end. "If you two should venture to Boston, please don't hesitate to let us know. There's so much there, and we'd love to return the favor you've done for us today."

"Thank you, Maura," Jason said as they walked away from the ride and toward the front gate to exit. "Joe and I have been talking about a vacation. Maybe we'll go to Boston? I've always wanted to go to there."

"I like it," Joe said with a nod of approval. "Let's exchange contact info?"

"Oh, yes, that would be helpful, wouldn't it?" Maura chuckled, blushing at herself for the oversight.

* * *

The heavy sigh that escaped the detective was not lost on her girlfriend as they slid into the car and Maura tipped the valet before pulling out of the parking lot. They both remained silent as the doctor concentrated on the road, the drivers, and the GPS system to get them back to their hotel. Once they were situated on a relatively familiar highway and the GPS had assured them it would be some miles before Maura had to concentrate on where, exactly, to turn next, the honey brunette broke the tired silence in the car. "I could always call Gigi and tell her we can't make the dinner due to personal issues but will be at the last event tomorrow."

"And give Cricket and Carlene fits after they went to all that trouble to make our lives a living hell?" Jane snorted. "Never!" They both chuckled before the detective settled back down. "Today was nice. I really liked Jason and Joe. They're good guys."

"Yes, they seem to be." Maura reached out to place her right hand on Jane's thigh. "I had a good time, too. I'm glad we went."

Another sigh escaped Jane. "Things are going to be so weird when we get back home."

The driver frowned, trying to figure out the context of the sentence and meaning behind it. Giving up, she asked simply, "What do you mean?"

"It's just that… well… okay, today it was like we were a real couple, you know? I mean, we  _are_ , but," Jane groaned, frustrated at herself for not having the right words at the right time and worried she would anger Maura before she could explain herself. Rolling her eyes, she tried again. "Maura, this was the first time that you and I went anywhere as an official couple, and, because we're here and not at home, we didn't worry about people  _knowing_  we were a couple. It was nice. It was great, actually. I loved it. I loved being able to kiss you, hold your hand, and just act like we're together without having to worry. But, when we get back home, what are we going to do? I mean, what are  _really_ going to do? I just," again the detective stopped to consider.

Maura sat quietly, the hand on the steering wheel gripping it tighter and tighter with each passing moment, but she remained silent. It was clear Jane was working something out, and Maura was loathe to break the process. Instead, she watched the road and waited.

Jane cleared her throat. "Okay, let me put this another way. If I was someone that we both knew and I saw us today, I wouldn't recognize us. I mean, I would, but I wouldn't because we were… _damn it_ , why is this so hard to put into words? Wait a minute; I got this." She sat up straighter in the car. "I'm a different person than I was before we got here. I feel it. I see it in how I act now. I'm so comfortable treating you like we've been always been in a relationship, and it's the most natural thing in the world that we're together. It's weird. I always thought I'd freak out, and I didn't. Instead, it's like I slipped on a favorite pair of jeans or something, and that level of comfortableness scares me, Maura. It scares me because it means that I don't think I can hide this," she motioned between them, " _at all_. As soon as Ma sees us, she's going to know, and, frankly, I don't know how she'll handle that."

They sat quietly as Maura processed. After a time, the doctor spoke, but her voice was quiet and unsure. "What do you want me to do?"

"Tell me why I don't seem to have any problem being completely out of the closet after keeping myself in Narnia my entire life?" Jane shook her head. "I don't know, but I  _do_ know that, when we get back, I won't be this open. Are you ready for that kind of shift? Will you hold it against me if I'm suddenly less likely to touch you in public or to hide from people when we go on dates?"

"No," the answer was honest, and it was full of hurt. "No, I'm not ready for that. I feel as though we've been hiding our relationship from people for a long time now, but I'm not willing to give up on this because I'd rather not hide in the dark. Even if I wanted to walk away, I don't think I could."

Jane shook her head, eyes staring but not seeing, at the road ahead of her. "There are some moments when I don't know if I'll be able to handle this, and then," she turned her head, dark brown eyes running over the worried features of the woman next to her, "I look at you and know I can." She gave a small smile. "If we can make it through whatever the Double C's have in store for us tonight, we can make it through anything Ma might throw at us, right?"

"Double C's?" Maura's voice reprimanded, but her face lightened and her eyes didn't look as worried. "We don't have to tell anyone, Jane. I can be discreet."

"No," the lanky woman's body stiffened, face going hard. "Not just no, but  _hell no_. I refuse to act like we're doing something wrong or immoral. We're not, Maura. There's nothing wrong with us. I just… When we get back home, I'll talk to Ma, and you and I will play it by ear from there. Is that okay?"

Relief flooded through the doctor, and she visibly relaxed in her seat. "Yes." She flipped her blinker on, and started to make her way through the trucks and SUVs that flooded the Texas highway. "We should probably discuss tonight's dinner. It will be at Gigi's, but I suspect this will be more of a pre-event to tomorrow's activities. We should be prepared for a number of situations that may be…"

Jane groaned and tuned out, letting her mind go over their day at Six Flags and their new friends as she tried to shake the bad feeling she had about the night's upcoming dinner with the Dallas's local ladies of High Society.


	37. Chapter 37

Jane pulled the car's visor down and flipped open the cover to the vanity mirror to check her makeup. Scrunching up her nose in frustration, she leaned closer to the mirror, widening her eyes as she carefully ran her pinky under her left eye to smooth out the eyeliner.

After double checking her handiwork, she nodded, shut the visor with a quick flipped of her wrist, and leaned back against the car's seat, careful not to wrinkle her dress as she resettled.

Maura watched from the corner of her eye as she adjusted the driver's seat and turned the car on. An amused smile danced across her lips, and, for a moment, she thought the look had passed unnoticed by the car's passenger. It was, however, a very short lived moment.

Giving a grunt, Jane asked with a hint of amusement in her voice, "What?"

"That dress looks absolutely stunning on you, and that color blue is just perfect for your skin tone. I'm glad you decided to wear it tonight," the doctor's smile widened. "Your hair is perfect, your makeup is impeccable, and I just saw you run your hand along your dress to prevent wrinkles as you leaned back against the car's seat." She chuckled. "I believe the phrase here is something along the lines of, 'Jane, I think I'm rubbing off on you."

"God," the detective rolled her eyes, "I hope not. No offence, sweetie, but the last thing I want to do is spend thirty minutes to pull my hair back in a messy ponytail."

"You like my messy ponytail," Maura pointed out with a faux pout as she weaved through traffic on their way to Gigi's home. "Besides, I hardly think that taking pride in your appearance can be classified as a bad thing. In fact, I would argue that taking pride in one's appearance is a sign that one is taking pride in one's self."

"Are you telling me that being a little vain is a sign that I have better self-confidence?" Jane snorted. "As if I need  _more_  self-confidence."

The doctor's eyebrow rose in annoyance as she shot back, "Are you suggesting that you've not enjoyed wearing a bit more makeup, having better hair, and wearing clothing that you know is eye catching?"

"I plead the fifth," came the grumbled response.

"Jane, there's nothing wrong with enjoying your feminine side. There's no rule that states you must be masculine all of the time. You can enjoy both sides of yourself." Maura's smile turned mischievous. "I know  _I_ do."

"Okay, fine, so I like being girly sometimes, but that doesn't mean I like all the backhanded compliments and side deals that the Double Cs and Desperate Housewives of Whatever do all of the time. I  _hate_  this crap. All this dancing around and putting on a show of being better than everyone else is tiring." Jane sighed heavily. "I'll be glad when this is over."

"As will I," Maura nodded in agreement. Pulling into the Stopper residence's drive, the doctor frowned. "There are more cars here that I've not seen before."

"Yeah," Jane glanced around at the crowded drive and street, "I smell a trap, too."

* * *

"Girls! I'm so glad you're here," Gigi's voice rang out above the light murmur from the crowd of guests behind her. "I was starting to think you'd be late."

"I'm rarely late," Maura stated as she stepped inside, visibly relieved to be back in an air conditioned space. Running a hand along her dress, eyes glancing down to the white fabric with its decorative, angled gold zipper along one side at the top, she took a moment to compose before adding, "I see we have new faces?"

The redhead frowned. "Yes, Carlene and Cricket invited two friends who they think may be helpful for tomorrow night." She paused as if to consider her next words. "I think they may not cover an area you two would be interested in discussing. You know what they say, in polite company, stick with the weather."

"Understood," Jane said, eyes narrowing. "Shall we?" With a sweep of her hand, she motioned for their hostess to lead the way to the sitting room.


	38. Chapter 38

"Everyone, Jane and Maura are here. Now all we need is for Heather and Sharon to get here and we can start our dinner." Gigi gave a tight smile as she noticed the only spots open for the couple to sit were directly across from Carlene and Cricket's newest invites. "Why don't you two make yourself comfortable while I go check on things?" Turning so her back to the crowd, she gave the women a meaningful look before exiting the room to join her daughter in the kitchen.

With grace and poise, the two women glided to take their seats, saying their hellos to the gathered people in the room. When everyone was finally settled, Carlene began the evening's conversation with introductions.

"Jane, Maura, I want you to meet a couple of friends of ours," she motioned to the man and woman seated directly across from the doctor and detective. "These are Gary and Ginger Vice." Carlene's eyes resettled on the newest arrivals to the room. "Gary, Ginger, this is Maura Isles and Jane Rizzoli."

Despite the obvious joke Jane wanted to crack, she kept her facial expression lightly neutral as she placidly replied, "Detective Rizzoli." She offered her hand, which Gary and Ginger took in turn.

Following Jane's lead, Maura smiled pleasantly. "Doctor Isles." She shook hands as well, taking a mental inventory of both the body language and facial expression of the couple in front of her.

"A pleasure," Gary said, giving a nod hello. "Doctor Isles, it's wonderful that your foundation has joined with Carlene's. It's such a wonderful cause."

"Yes, and we feel the money donated will help so many!" Ginger's voice was bright with excitement. "I know the program helped us, and I feel it can help so many others."

"Program?" Jane's eyes held a question as she looked to Maura. "What program?"

"Well, I've been thinking," Carlene butted in, a sharp look in her eyes. "My organization is here to not only help the unfortunate but to promote good, clean Christian values. There are so many people out there that have lost their way and need our help. I want to make certain the money we've raised will go toward helping the wayward find their way back to the Light because those who have lost their way are the  _most_ unfortunate of them all."

"Amen," Ginger breathed under her breath.

"If there's one thing we want to ensure, it's that those seeking the teachings of Christ have a way to find the right path, and those who need help and recognize that they need that help have a way to get help without having to worry about money as a factor," the petite blonde continued, being interrupted this time by Gary who utter a quiet 'hallelujah'. "As such, I've decided to donate the proceeds of this charity event week to The Straight Way to Heaven." She beamed.

Cricket smirked and waited.

"I see," Maura offered cautiously, "and what, exactly, does this organization do? When Mother and I agreed to assist your charity organization, we were led to believe the money raised would be going to the children in need here in the area."

"The clothing drive from earlier this week  _will_  be going to the children in need and various homeless shelters," Cricket stepped in, voice haughty. "However, we felt the rest of the money should go toward other Christian endeavors. After all, it's only fair to spread good fortune out to everyone." She gave a devilish smile. "The Straight Way to Heaven is a three week camp that helps people reform their homosexual lifestyle."

"Yes, it's a  _wonderful_  experience!" Ginger bounced slightly in her chair. "Gary and I are both reformed homosexuals who went through the program. It did wonders for us. Six weeks after completing it, he and I started dating, and now, a year later, we're married! Isn't that fantastic?"

"We were so honored when Cricket and Carlene asked us to be the poster couple for the announcement tomorrow night," Gary added, smiling widely. "If there's anything we can do to help other people who were in our same predicament find their way back to the right path, we're happy to help."

"Really?" Jane's voice was deep and flat, her eyes breathing the fire that the rest of her body did not show. "This  _is_  an interesting turn of events. Does Blake know, Cricket?"

Cricket narrowed her eyes, "Not yet."

"Speaking of," Maura said, her voice eerily calm, "where  _is_  your husband tonight, Cricket?"

"He had to go to the ranch to deal with his new foreman," Cricket answered a little too quickly. "He'll be here as soon as he gets a handle on everything down there. It shouldn't take long. He's good at handling issues as they arise."

"No doubt," Jane said quietly. "And I see Ripp isn't here tonight."

"He had sudden business in Mexico," Carlene offered.

"I'm afraid this will never do," Maura said as she stood. "Your agreement with Mother's foundation was quite clear.  _All_  proceeds were to go to the benefit the children in this area. If you do anything else with the money and other items obtained during this charity event, your organization will have broken the contract between our two foundations, and we will be forced to take legal action." She looked down to Jane, giving her an expectant look. "I see no reason to remain if the tenets of our contract with these ladies have been broken. Shall we?" Maura offered Jane her hand.

"Of course," Jane said as she took Maura's offered hand, sliding her arm through the doctor's as they stood, facing the still seated couple. "Congratulations on your nuptials."

Clearly confused, Ginger answered with puzzlement in her voice, "Thank you."

"I don't understand," Gary said, standing as the ladies had. "What's going on? Have we done something to cause offence?"

"Yes," Maura answered quickly, though without malice. "However, your offense is not the cause of our departure. Our departure is a direct result of my foundation's contract with Carlene's organization being broken. You are involved only minimally."

"What do you mean we've been offensive?" Ginger stood, her short height making her attempt at looming over either the doctor or the detective comical looking at best. "We've been nothing but polite and cordial since you two arrived."

"It has nothing to do with your behavior towards us," Jane said with a bit of dismissiveness in her voice. "We simply don't condone the idea that you can pray the gay away, as the saying goes."

"But you can!" Gary's voice was harsh and suddenly angry. "Ginger and I are proof of that."

"It is a biological impossibility to change your genetic structure," Maura replied curtly. "Sexual orientation is something one is born having. There are countless examples of both homosexual and bisexual behavior in hundreds of species across our planet. The fact that humans are the only species to shun either group from their collective is indication that forced homosexuality is the issue within our own species. Being homosexual or bisexual or even asexual is not a choice. It is how we are born, and, to say otherwise, is to deny how you were meant to be by your divine creator, should you believe in one." The doctor straightened, her heels giving a good three inches over the married woman in front of her. "It is offensive to hear you claim otherwise."

Ginger looked to her husband and then back to the women in front of them. "Are you two lesbians?"

"Yes," Jane answered without missing a beat, "And we're in relationship."

"Clearly you can't be reasoned with, then," Gary spat out. "You're still tainted with the sin of homosexuality.  _You_ need to go through the program and be healed."

" _I_  have nothing to heal," Jane said, voice still calm though her body was starting to go rigid. "I am exactly who am I supposed to be, and I am with the person that most makes me happy in my life. We are committed to each other, just as any couple would be. My love for the person I spend my life with is not any more immoral than the love you have for the person you want to spend your life with."

"Somewhere," Maura smoothly added, "there is a man and woman searching for each of you so you can be the happy, united couple you were meant to be, and they will never find you because you're too frightened of the dogma man has created to enjoy the love God has given to you to give to the person you were meant to be with."

"How  _dare_  you insinuate that I don't love my husband," Ginger spat, hands flexing at her sides.

"I didn't say that," the doctor calmly replied. "You very well may love your husband, but I find it difficult to believe you love your husband beyond the bounds of a very strong platonic relationship, and vice versa for him. You can love someone very much and not be physically attracted to them in a way that would bring about sexual attraction and, thus, fulfillment."

"Are you suggesting what I think you are?" Gary's voice went up a notch. "You have no right to talk about what happens in our bedroom. We are married, man and wife. What we do in our bedroom is no one's business but our own."

"And the same can be said for us," Jane said, her voice steady but still lower than normal. "Maura and I are not here to judge you, Mr. Vice. However, neither are we here to be judged."

"You need to be shown the light. Do you really want to burn for all eternity?" Ginger was calming, but the anger was still very visible on her features. "What are a few years of incompleteness versus an eternity of constant torture?"

"That's right," Gary nodded. "God puts trials in front of us. He tests us, and it's up to us to follow the path he's laid out for us. We are better than the animals of the world. We are cognizant of our actions. We understand moral consequences. It is a test God puts upon those of us who find ourselves attracted to the same sex. He's forcing us to fight against a strong, carnal desire so that we tread the right path."

"By doing so, we will find our Salvation and be in His presence when Judgment Day arrives," Ginger added, voice solemn. "Homosexuality is a sin."

"Homosexuality is genetic, and I hardly think a loving deity would create something intrinsic to its creations only to tell them it is wrong. That seems much less like a just god and much more like a malicious force." Maura tilted her head slightly, voice starting to get an edge to it. "Jobe was never asked to go against his genetic makeup, and Jesus Christ never said anything about sexuality."

* * *

The room fell quiet as all parties thought out their next move. It was Gigi and Amanda's return into the room that broke the tension slightly.

"I was coming in to ask if anyone wanted something to drink," Gigi said as her eyes scanned the very unhappy faces in the room, "but I think I should has what's going on instead."

Amanda frowned. "Did we miss something?"

"Carlene and Cricket have decided to donate the proceeds of the charity events this week, excluding the clothing donations, to The Straight Way to Heaven. As this breaks the tenets of the contract between our two organizations, I'm afraid I see no reason for us to stay." Maura turned to her hostess. "I'm very sorry, Gigi. I'm certain your meal would have been lovely, but Jane and I are going to leave."

"I understand," the older woman replied as she shot a look behind the doctor to the other people in the room. "Can I call you tomorrow?"

"Of course," Maura answered with a smile. Turning back to Carlene, she added, "Our lawyers will be in touch."

With a nod and kind word to Amanda as they passed by, Jane and Maura left the Stopper home.

* * *

"Did she say 'lawyers?" Gigi's eyebrows went up in shock. "What have you done, Carlene?"

The petite blonde looked offended. "I was only trying to help them…"

"Stop. Just stop it." Amanda said, holding her hand up. "This has gone far enough. You two are being ridiculous, and this whole thing has gotten  _way_ far out of hand. I  _refuse_  to get sued by the Isles Foundation's lawyers just because you two had your pride hurt." She glanced at the still seething couple. "I think it's time you two left, don't you?"

"Yeah, I think so," Gary said as he made his way to the door, Ginger following closely behind. "We'll take a rain check on tomorrow," he added before they left, closing the door behind them.

"I don't know what you two think you're doing," Gigi said, voice tight with frustration, "but those two women have done nothing but be helpful. If you have issues with them, then they need to be dealt with  _outside_  the boundaries of the charity." She crossed her arms. "I can't believe you two would shortchange children just to get at two lesbians who have done nothing to you but get the upper hand in our social circle."

"You've crossed a line," Amanda said, not caring about the consequences of what might happen to her by angering either Cricket or Carlene. "You two should be ashamed of yourselves. Even  _if_  I disagreed with how those two are living their life, which I don't, you're taking away help to people who honestly need it just to make yourselves feel better about you. What kind of good, Christian values  _does that_  display?"

"Now you listen here," Cricket stood, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. "This program is just as good as giving to the children. It promotes…"

"A bunch of horse hockey and we all know it!" Gigi snorted in disgust. "You are who you are, and you love who you love. You know that better than anyone, Cricket. I think it's all time we stopped playing this game."

"Things are about to get real serious real fast," Amanda said with venom in her voice. "Maura's family is old money with a lot more connections than any of us have. You claim you're worried about the charity's reputation? Well, just  _think_ about what's going to happen once the Isles family starts making the rounds and explaining that the reason your charity, Carlene, is being sued by their lawyers is because of your intolerance. How do you think  _that's_ going to look?"

"Not to mention," Gigi said, voice raising a bit, "the fact that Maura's family has more money than all of us combined. Her lawyers will wipe the floor with ours."

The women were silent, each thinking over the situation. Finally, Carlene let out a sigh. Rolling her eyes and throwing her hands up in the air, she turned to Carlene and said, "They're right."

Carlene jumped. "What?"

"They're right, Carlene. If we push this, it'll make us all look bad. It's better if we make a strategic withdrawal and tell Maura that we're following through with our original plans."

"But… but… what about showing them the way? What about saving their souls?" The small blonde pouted.

Voice annoyed, Cricket simply stated, "We'll lose in court."

"We've already lost to the devil," Carlene muttered as she pulled her phone out. "I'll call The Straight Way to Heaven and let them know there's been a change in plans."

"I'm not calling anyone," Cricket said, chin held high. "In fact, don't expect me at tomorrow's event. I just remembered I have something better to do. I'll send my assistant, Jorge, in my place."

"Don't worry about it," Amanda said as she pulled out her cell. "I'll tell them myself." With a smirk, she stepped into the other room to make the call.


	39. Chapter 39

"All dressed up and nowhere to go," Jane sighed as she watched the other cars around them. "That was one hell of a trap."

"Yes," Maura said as she turned onto North Central Expressway and headed north. "I suspect they were not ready for me to pull in the terms of our contract."

"Yeah, I'm thinking not." The detective watched the exit signs, noting the direction they were going. "Hey, isn't the hotel the other way?"

"It is, but I thought we might go someplace nice since we're already dress for the occasion," Maura smiled warmly though she kept her eyes on the road. "There's a hibachi grill that I've been thinking of going to. It's a chain, but they have a lovely reputation, and we're dressed for the experience. I thought, perhaps, we could go there."

"Sounds like fun." Jane frowned as she pulled her buzzing phone from her purse. "What's it called?"

"Benihana," Maura answered as she made a face. "Who is that?"

"Amanda," the detective answered as she put the call on speaker. "Hello?"

" _Jane?"_  Amanda's voice was quiet.  _"Am I on speaker?"_

Jane glanced to the driver. "Yeah, is that okay? We're still in the car."

"That's fine. I won't keep you long. I just wanted you two to know that we're back on with our original plan, and Carlene is dropping her little idea about The Straight whatever. Everything is going to the children as it should." There as a quick silence. "Are we good?"

"Yes, that's acceptable. Please tell Gigi that Jane and I will be at tomorrow's event," Maura said, though her voice sounded somewhat disappointed.

"I will. Oh, and you two should know that Cricket won't be attending. She had something come up." Amanda chuckled.

"I'll bet," Jane rolled her eyes. "See you tomorrow."

" _Good bye, ladies. Have a good night."_

Jane dropped her phone back into her purse as she glanced to the woman beside her. "You okay?"

"Yes," the doctor sighed. "Though I was hoping to not have to go tomorrow."

"Yeah, me, too." Reaching a hand out and placing it on Maura's thigh, Jane gave it a gentle squeeze. "One more day."

"Yes, one more day, and then we must go home." Again, Maura sighed. "Are we ready for all of this?"

" _Now_  you start to worry?" Despite the light teasing, the detective was also reassuring. Dropping the humor, she added, "I'm ready for anything as long as I'm with you."

"Oh Jane," the honey brunette's eyes went a little misty. "That's so sweet."

The detective rolled her eyes. "Ew."


	40. Chapter 40

"I'm going to miss this tub," Jane hummed as she wrapped her arms around Maura, pulling the smaller woman closer to her. Dinner had been very entertaining, but they had left feeling drained. Once they made it back to their hotel room, they had decided on one last bath.

"The master bathroom in my home has a tub just as big." With a small moan, the doctor shifted. She let out a gasp of surprise as lanky fingers ran across the tops of her hips. "You'd know that if you'd ever go into my bedroom."

The detective shrugged. "It was too tempting. You know the saying, 'Lead me not into temptation', right?"

"Let's not start quoting religious dogma again," Maura rolled over to straddle the dark haired brunette below her. "It'll ruin the mood."

"Can't have that," Jane said as she slowly slid her hands up the smaller woman's sides. "You're gorgeous, you know that?"

"Hmmm," the honey brunette arched her back, giving the hands traveling up her body better access, "so are you."

"We make one hell of a good look couple," the detective mumbled between openmouthed kisses up the slick torso in front of her.

"God, yes," Maura moaned. "Jane, please…"

* * *

"Is that everything?" Jane stacked the last of the suitcases on the luggage rack. "We didn't leave anything in a drawer or something, did we?"

"We did not," Maura answered as she strolled to the windows overlooking Dallas. "I doubled checked the drawers and closet. We've repacked everything." Her eyes roamed over the city, taking it in from above one last time before she had to go back down into its depths. "It really is lovely."

"It's got its charms," the detective answered as she wrapped her arms around the honey brunette. "I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't miss it a little bit, but I'm  _so_ ready to be home. I miss Jo, and the boys, and Bass, and, God help me, even my family. I'm ready to go back, aren't you?"

"Yes. I miss having more control of my environment." The small woman leaned into the embrace, snuggling up angst the lanky frame behind her. "I also miss my lab."

"Somehow, I think those two might be related." Jane chuckled as a hand batted at her arms. "I'm also looking forward to getting out of this Texas heat. It's like a freaking oven outside here all the time. It's even hot at night. I don't know how they live like this."

"Boston's summers are starting to look less dreadful, yes." Maura pulled away, turning to place a gentle kiss on the other woman's lips. "It's time, tiger."

Jane nodded. "Nine hours."

The doctor sighed. "And counting…"


	41. Chapter 41

"I thought this was a soundstage," Jane's voice was full of surprise and wonder. "It's an  _actual_  ranch?"

"Yes, Southfork is an actual, real, working ranch," Maura confirmed with a chuckle as they turned in to travel through the infamous gates of Southfork. "It has several heads of cattle on the land. Though the television series Dallas  _was_ filmed on location both here and in and around Dallas, the ranch itself has always been an actual cattle ranch."

"That's crazy," the detective muttered. "I wonder where JR is?"

"JR isn't real, Jane, but I understand Larry Hagman and Patrick Duffy will both be here today. They're making appearances and signing autographs as part of the charity event."

"Really?" Jane's eyes and ears perked up. "You mean I could actually meant JR Ewing?"

"If by JR Ewing you mean Larry Hagman, then yes." Maura shook her head. "I didn't realize you were such a huge fan of the show."

"Well, I mean, I no fangirl, but I did really like the series, and I'm excited about the new one that's supposed to come on soon." The detective grinned. "I wonder if they're filming? I wonder if we could be extras? Do you think they'd let my ugly mug on TV?"

"I'd  _hardly_  call you ugly, Jane." The doctor pulled in and parked before turning to give her girlfriend an amused look. "But I'd say it was likely they'd allow you on as an extra, yes."

"The day is looking up. We're going to meet JR Ewing  _and_ Bobby…"

Maura gave a frustrated groan. "Jane."

"Fine. We're going to meet Larry Hagman and Patrick Duffy." The detective rolled out of the car. "Holy crap, it's hot out here."

"Fortunately, we're going inside the house for now. However, most of the activities are outside today, which is why we're wearing short shirts and short sleeves."

Jane shrugged in acceptance of her lot in life. "Good planning."

"Normally, yes," Maura said with a light tease in her voice. "I understand Carlene has gotten George Straight for tonight's concert."

"No kidding?" Jane's eyes went wide. "I'm impressed."

"Apparently, she's well connected in the country and western music industry," the doctor commented as they made their way to the back entrance of the ranch house. "I feel today ought to run smoothly, don't you?"

"Yeah, I'm thinking so. With Cricket not here and Carlene keeping her head low, this all should really be a piece of cake. We might manage to get out of here after you make your speech tonight." Holding the door open for the other woman, Jane gave a hopeful look. "What do you think?"

Maura nodded. "I think that is a fantastic plan."

* * *

"He was just as awesome as I thought he would be!" Jane tried not to bounce with excitement. "He called me by name. Did you hear that, Maura? He called me Jane."

"Because that is your name," Maura deadpanned in reply. "Honestly Jane, you're acting as if you just met Christ himself."

"Better, I met JR Ewing!" The detective grinned. " _And_ Bobby Ewing."

The doctor sighed. "I'm inclined to leave this one alone. Are you ready to eat? The line for the barbeque is forming outside behind the house, and Amanda promised to save us a seat with her and Gigi."

Jane placed a hand at the small of Maura's back, leading them to the line. "Yeah, the sooner we eat, the sooner you can do your speech, and the sooner we can go home."

* * *

"I'm glad you girls are here," Gigi said between sips of cocktail. "I'm sorry about last night. I really had no idea what they were planning."

"It's all water," Jane said as she settled with her plate of brisket, potato salad, and baked beans. "No harm, no foul, right?"

"I wouldn't say  _no_  harm," Amanda nodded toward a table behind Jane. "Carlene looks like we kicked her puppy."

"I hardly think expecting her to stick with the agreed upon terms of the contract her organization signed with ours is deserving of such behavior," Maura chided as she carefully cut a piece from her chicken breast. "I felt I was being perfectly reasonable."

Gigi rolled her eyes. "You were, which is why Carlene looks like we kicked her puppy."

Before Maura could protest more, Jane cut in. "Sweetie, she lost. We won. She's just mad about it, but she'll get over it."

The doctor blinked. "We  _did_ win, didn't we?" She grinned.

"Oh yeah," Amanda smiled, shaking her head as she cut a piece from her sausage link. "You not only won, you buried them."

"Well deserving of the Stopper Girl title, if you ask me," her mother added with a raise of her glass. "Not only did you stomp out the competition, you did it with poise while looking amazing and being fabulous. Well done, ladies."

Maura's eye light up with delight. "I love winning."

"So do I." The delight on Jane's face matched her girlfriend's beam for beam. Raising her bottle of beer, she toasted, "To being a winning power couple."

The women smiled, clinking drinks.


	42. Chapter 42

"Before we move on to the concert portion for tonight," Carlene said, eyes skimming over the crowd, "I would like to say a few words. First of all, I want to thank Sharon Peacham for all of her hard work. The catering this week has been fantastic. Thank you, Sharon!" Carlene clapped and the audience followed. Sharon smiled brightly and gave a little wave. "I'd also like to thank Heather Cruz for setting up all the locations for this week's activities. As you can see," she gestured around her, "all the locations have been top notch. Thank you, Heather!" Again, Carlene clapped and the audience followed her lead. Heather stood, waved, and quickly sat back down. "I also want to thank Gigi Stopper and her daughter, Amanda Vaughn, for being involved in the week's events. The charity golf tournament could not have happened without them. Thank you, ladies." Carlene's voice was slightly colder as she gave thanks, but she did clap, and the audience clapped along. The two ladies both gave waves.

"I'd also like to thank Cricket Caruth-Reilly for her time organizing this week's clothing drive. Cricket couldn't be here, but she sends her regards. And, finally, I'd like to thank the Isles Foundation for their joint support for this week." Despite herself, Carlene's face fell a bit as she continued to speak. "Their donations of both time and resources were invaluable in securing everything for the week. Here to speak on behalf of the foundation is Doctor Maura Isles." The petite blonde's face twitch, smile plastered on as she stepped from the microphone to take her place at the side of the stage.

Gracefully, Maura stood and strolled to the microphone. With a quick movement, she adjusted the height, and then straightened her posture as she looked over the crowd of upper crust people attending the night's event. She smiled graciously before beginning.

"Good evening everyone," her voice was smooth, face nothing but calm and poise. "Thank you so much for attending tonight's activities. As you know, all proceeds for both tonight and this entire week are going to the children in need in this area. The Isles Foundation is proud to take part in such a worthy endeavor, and we're pleased to help."

She tilted her head to the side, giving a small smirk. "Though this is not my first visit to Dallas, I must say this has been my favorite by far. The experiences here this week have been most memorable, and I plan to bring them back home with me to Boston." He eyes found Jane, and her smirk turned into a smile, which was warmly returned. "The general hospitality my partner and I have encountered while we've been here has been an experience we will likely never forget, and I've been genuinely surprised by so many things this week."

In the audience, Amanda leaned over to Jane and whispered, "She's good at this not lying but not telling the truth thing, isn't she?"

Jane snorted. "Oh yeah."

"I feel this week has been a wonderful learning experience for all, and I hope everyone gained as much from the experience as I have. I know the children in need in the area certainly have. Your generous donations will go to fund much needed aid, and, for that, I am truly humbled and thankful. Thanks to you all, and I wish you nothing but the very best. Thank you." The doctor stepped away from the microphone to gentle applause. She found her way down the stage as Carlene took up the microphone again to make final comments and introduce the night's musical entertainment.

Maura stopped at the table and looked down at the dark haired brunette looking lovingly up at her. "Are you ready to leave?"

"Yes," Jane quickly stood, nearly bumping into the person behind her. "Absolutely."

"Gigi, Amanda, it was lovely meeting you two." Maura offered her hand, but was pulled into a hug by both. She happily returned it. "Thank you for everything you've done this week. If you find yourself in Boston, please call on us."

"If you forget how to find us," Jane joked, "just walk into a Boston police station and ask for Detective Rizzoli or the Queen of the Dead."

"Jane, really?" Maura rolled her eyes.

Amanda's eyebrows rose in confusion. "Queen of the Dead?"

"That's the name some at the department call me." The doctor sighed. "I prefer to be called Doctor Isles, however."

"…or Doctor Death," Jane mutter under her breath. "Ow! That hurt!" She rubbed at her side where Maura had pinched it.

"You deserved it," Gigi chuckled. "You girls be careful on your way back, and email us to let us know you landed safely, okay?"

"Of course," Maura nodded, smiling. "Come on, tiger, let's go so we can change and make it to the airport in time."

With a final hug goodbye, the couple left to take their trip back home.


	43. Chapter 43

**Epilogue**

"Can I just spend the night with you?" Jane groaned as she finished carrying all of their suitcases inside. "We don't have to go to work tomorrow, I'm tired, and …" She was stopped by Maura's lips on her own.

"You never have to ask, Jane. You're always welcome in my home, and," the honey brunette added in a quieter, more seductive tone, "in my bed."

Jane gulped down the sudden lump in her throat. "You're going to kill me, you know that?"

Maura chuckled. "I doubt it. Do you want to get ready for bed, tiger? I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted. We can unpack tomorrow. Just leave your clothes here, and I'll wash everything."

"You just don't want me messing up my new, fancy clothes," Jane teased as she began carrying suitcases to Maura's bedroom.

"I'd be lying if I said that wasn't part of my motivation," Maura admitted sheepishly.

Abruptly, Jane stopped just outside the master bedroom. "I… uh… I've only been in there three times."

"I hope we can increase that count," Maura purred into Jane's ear. "In fact, I was hoping to introduce you to _my_  tub tonight."

The detective licked suddenly dry lips as she let out a breath slowly. "If we're too loud, Ma will hear us."

"Well," Maura chuckled as she stepped around Jane to walk into the bedroom, "that would be  _one_ way of telling her about the change in our relationship."

Jane groaned but followed Maura into the bedroom, closing and locking the door behind them. "And then I would flee the country and live in a cave for the rest of my life."

"What  _is_ it with you and caves? Is there something I should know?" The smaller woman teased as she began to undress.

"No, I don't think so." With a happy hum, Jane watched the slow striptease, waiting to speak again until Maura was completely undressed. "What were we talking about?"

"We weren't," Maura purred before beginning to pull Jane into the bathroom. "Start undressing while I run the water."

Numbly nodding in the affirmative, Jane followed orders while the tub filled with bubbly water. As the two slowly sank down into the inviting warmth, the detective put everything out her mind but the feel of the other woman's arms wrapped around her.

Everything else – dealing with her mother, going back to work, coming out to everyone – could wait until tomorrow. Tonight was just for them. They were home. They were safe. They were finally together, and that's all that matter in the moment. As her body began to arc from the delicate touches of the other woman's skillful hands, she decided to let tomorrow be a new day and tonight be all for them.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Having grown up in Dallas and been to everything I've spoken of in this story, I felt like I was walking Jane and Maura around my old haunts. It was a lot of fun, and every time I think of this story, it makes me smile. There's just something really fun about the idea of taking two of your favorite characters and introducing them to your world. It's a nice twist since we normally are introduced to their world.
> 
> In other news, I miss GCB so much it hurts, and I'm really angry that it was canceled and replaced with Malibu Country. I don't have a thing against Reba. I love Reba. I grew up listening to and watching her, but, dang it, she already had her hit show. GCB deserved another chance.


End file.
